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Meta will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion, internal emails seen by Reuters on Thursday show.
In a temporary change to its hate speech policy, the social media company is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for death to President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in countries including Russia, Ukraine and Poland, the emails to content moderators show.
These calls will be allowed unless they contain other targets or have two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, one email said, in a recent change to the company's rules on violence and incitement.
The emails said calls for violence against Russians are allowed when the post is clearly talking about the invasion of Ukraine.
They said the calls for violence against Russian soldiers were allowed because this was being used as a proxy for the Russian military, and said it would not apply to prisoners of war.
The temporary policy changes apply to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.
Last week, Russia said it was banning Facebook in the country in response to what it said were restrictions of access to Russian media on the platform.
Moscow has cracked down on tech companies, including Twitter, which said it ws restricted in the country, during its invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special operation".
Many major social media platforms have announced new content restrictions around the conflict, including blocking Russian state media RT and Sputnik in Europe, and have demonstrated carve-outs in some of their policies during the war.
Emails also showed that Meta would allow praise of the right-wing Azov battalion, which is normally prohibited, in a change first reported by The Intercept.
Meta spokesman Joe Osborne previously said the company was "for the time being, making a narrow exception for praise of the Azov Regiment strictly in the context of defending Ukraine, or in their role as part of the Ukraine National Guard".
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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows destroyed and burning warehouse buildings in Stoyanka, Ukraine, in the western Kyiv region, during the Russian invasion. AP -
Children shelter in a metro station in Kharkiv. Moscow said on March 10, 2022, that it will open daily humanitarian corridors to allow civilians fleeing fighting in Ukraine to reach Russian territory, despite Kyiv insisting that no evacuation routes should lead to Russia. AFP -
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a videoconference meeting with government members at the Kremlin in Moscow. The meeting focuses on minimising the effects of sanctions on the Russian economy. Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 24, prompting the country's president to declare martial law and triggering a series of severe economic sanctions imposed by western countries. EPA -
Rescuers work among remains of buildings damaged by an air strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, as Russia's attack on the country continues. Reuters -
Members of the National Guard of Ukraine, Oleksandr and Olena, listen to a priest at their wedding in Ukraine. Reuters -
People fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine warm up by a fire near the train station in Lviv, Ukraine. Reuters -
Russian forces rolled their armoured vehicles up to the northeastern edge of Kyiv, edging closer in their attempts to encircle the Ukrainian capital. AFP -
A woman covers herself with a blanket near a damaged fire truck after shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine. AP Photo -
A Ukrainian soldier hides from a helicopter air strike near Demydiv, Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukrainian soldiers walk past a monument of the city founder Duke de Richelieu, covered with sand bags for protection, in Odessa, Ukraine. Reuters -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, centre, and Ukranian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. EPA -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in talks with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba during a tripartite meeting chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Antalya, Turkey. AP -
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks to the media as the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia and Turkey hold talks in Antalya, 15 days after Russia launched a military invasion on Ukraine. AFP -
A Ukrainian serviceman says goodbye to his girlfriend before departing in the direction of Kyiv at the central train station in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. AFP -
Valerii Sushkevych, president of the Ukraine National Paralympic Committee, and the Ukraine delegation raise their fists and pose with a banner at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. Reuters -
A member of the Ukrainian team cries during a moment of silence at the Zhangjiakou athletes village during the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. AFP -
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kubela, second left, in Antalya, Turkey. AFP -
A man is supported after crossing the Irpin river while fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine. AP -
People are helped out of a damaged children's hospital following a Russian air strike in the southeastern city of Mariupol, Ukraine. AFP -
A man rides a bicycle in front of an apartment building that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol. AP -
A woman carries two babies after arriving at a triage point in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP -
A man hugs an elderly woman after crossing a damaged bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin, near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. EPA -
Local residents cook at a makeshift camp next to a checkpoint in Kyiv. EPA -
Ukrainian men chop wood at a makeshift camp next to a checkpoint in Kyiv. EPA -
A member of the Territorial Defence Forces learns how to use a Javelin missile during a training session in Kyiv. EPA -
Members of the Territorial Defence Forces learn how to give first aid during the training session. EPA -
A woman rescued from the outskirts of Kyiv holds a plate of food after arriving at a triage point in the Ukrainian capital. AP -
A woman cries after arriving at the triage point in Kyiv. AP -
Civilian vehicles drive past a destroyed Russian tank as they leave Irpin. AP -
Ukrainian servicemen stand in a foxhole in Irpin. AP -
People gather on a platform to board a train leaving Odesa after the US said Russian troops are making preparations to attack the city. AFP -
A Ukrainian woman looks for food in a bin in Odesa's city centre. AFP -
Ukrainian servicemen look towards Russian positions outside the city of Brovary, east of Kyiv. AFP -
A man walks past a shelled house at the village of Velyka Dymerka, east of Kyiv. AFP -
A Ukrainian serviceman stands at a check point in the vilage of Velyka Dymerka east of Kyiv. AFP -
A Ukrainian woman plays with her child in a temporary refugee shelter in Przemysl, Poland. Reuters -
A woman waits outside a maternity and children's hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine. AP -
A pregnant woman leaves the hospital after she was wounded when it was bombed. AP -
A woman waits outside the damaged hospital in Mariupol. AP -
A man wounded by shelling in Mariupol. AP -
A car burns after the destruction of the children's hospital in Mariupol. Reuters -
A mortuary worker wheels a stretcher used to move dead bodies before they are buried on the outskirts of Mariupol. AP
