Russia cut off access to Facebook — making Meta's work in Russia illegal

Russia cut off access to Facebook — making Meta's work in Russia illegal

　　Transcript¹

　　A Russian court has banned Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over alleged² "extremist" activities.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　A Russian court has banned Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over alleged extremist activities. The decision makes Meta's work in Russia illegal and comes amid a wider crackdown on media, as NPR's Charles Maynes reports.

　　CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE³: The decision amounts to an immediate⁴ ban on Meta's services, or at least most of them.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　OLGA SOLOPOVA: (Non-English language spoken).

　　MAYNES: In reading out the decision, Judge Olga Solopova said the Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp would be spared, while Facebook and Instagram were now banned across the Russian Federation⁵ for extremist activities. The court agreed with the prosecutor's main argument, that Meta condoned⁶ violence against Russia's armed forces currently in Ukraine. Russia had already banned Facebook for restricting access to Kremlin-backed media amid the conflict, which the Kremlin insists be called a special military operation under penalty of law. Instagram was also blocked last week after media reports surfaced that Meta had made an exception to allow some posts urging violence against Russian troops and President Vladimir Putin. Meta later clarified the ruling only applied⁷ to posts from inside Ukraine and said the company wasn't advocating violence against Russians in general, but not before the damage was done.

　　PAVEL CHIKOV: (Non-English language spoken).

　　MAYNES: Pavel Chikov, a leading human rights lawyer, says Monday's decision reflects the government's rush to punish Meta for what it saw as anti-Russian activities. Even as authorities say they have no intent to punish individual Russian users, Chikov says it's far from clear what happens to Russian Meta stockholders or businesses or groups who've advertised on the platforms. Chikov says similar rulings against banned groups like jailed opposition⁸ leader Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation suggest a tough legal road for Meta and its community in the months ahead.

　　CHIKOV: (Non-English language spoken).

　　MAYNES: These types of criminal cases are already happening, says Chikov. One only need change the name of the organization to imagine it's a professional blogger on Instagram being charged. The court's verdict comes amid a wider effort by Russian authorities to control messaging and information about events in Ukraine. Dozens of media websites and Twitter have been blocked, prompting a wave of Russians purchasing virtual private networks, or VPNs, to get around the bans. With Monday's ruling, fans of Facebook and Instagram will have to use such services if they hope to not only elude⁹ government censors¹⁰ but increasingly the law.

　　Charles Maynes, NPR News, Moscow.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF MOGWAI'S "HUNGRY FACE")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

6 condoned   

v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Terrorism can never be condoned. 决不能容忍恐怖主义。
• They condoned his sins because he repented. 由于他的悔悟，他们宽恕了他的罪。 来自辞典例句

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 elude   

v.躲避，困惑

参考例句：

• If you chase it,it will elude you.如果你追逐着它， 它会躲避你。
• I had dared and baffled his fury.I must elude his sorrow.我曾经面对过他的愤怒，并且把它挫败了；现在我必须躲避他的悲哀。

10 censors   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。
• The censors let out not a word. 检察官一字也不发。