Meta’s senior executive put on ‘wanted’ list by Russia, here’s why – Times of India

Russia’s interior ministry has declared Andy Stone, a senior Meta executive, as a ‘wanted’ man under the Russian Criminal Code, specifically the article on the promotion of terrorism. Stone is responsible for managing media relations and communications at Meta. The ministry is conducting investigations into Stone’s actions and those of other employees of the company. Meta, previously Facebook, has not yet commented on the situation.

In 2022, Russia designated Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as a “terrorist and extremist” organization. The decision came amidst the tensions between Russia and the West following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The move effectively prohibited Meta from operating in Russia and subjects its assets to seizure. It also criminalised the use of Meta’s platforms in the country.Russia had accused Meta of tolerating “Russophobia” during the invasion of Ukraine. Now, Russia has placed a senior Meta executive on the ‘wanted’ list.
According to a report by news agency TASS, Russia’s interior ministry has now declared Andy Stone as a ‘wanted’ man, under the article on the promotion of terrorism (part 2 of Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code), as per news reports. “Andy Mark Stone is wanted under an article of the Russian Criminal Code,” the report quoted Russian interior ministry’s database record. The report also mentions that the ministry said that all the “necessary investigative measures are being carried out to give a legal assessment of the actions of Andy Stone and other employees of the American corporation.”
Stone is a communications director at Meta (formerly Facebook). He is responsible for managing the company’s media relations and communications efforts. He has been with the company since 2018
Stone is a strategic communications and public affairs leader with 12+ years of global experience. He previously worked at the United Nations, where he led communications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Goals Campaign.
Meta, so far, hasn’t commented on Stone being a ‘wanted’ man in Russia. When Meta’s platforms were banned in Russia, the company had said, “We will continue to do everything we can to restore our services so they remain available to people to safely and securely express themselves and organize for action.”
Watch Meta’s communications director Andy Stone is a ‘wanted man’ in Russia. Here’s why