Instagram and Facebook owner Meta no longer considers Ukraine’s Azov Regiment a “dangerous organization.” Following the reclassification Azov Regiment, members will be allowed to create accounts and content by other users about the regiment will not be removed.
The Azov Regiment is a unit of Ukraine’s National Guard. It was based in the city of Mariupol before Russia took control.
The group has been accused of being associated with nazi groups and Meta is making a distinction between Azov Regiment and Azov Movement.
“The war in Ukraine has meant changing circumstances in many areas and it has become clear that the Azov Regiment does not meet our strict criteria for designation as a dangerous organization,” Meta’s spokesperson said.
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that the decision by Meta will allow people around the world “to learn about the feat of the defenders of Mariupol, and Russian propaganda will lose its argument for blaming Ukrainian heroes.”
“The ministry has been in constant communication with Meta. Hundreds of accounts of Ukrainian military personnel, bloggers, and activists have been unblocked,” he added.
However, some groups and individuals associated with the Azov Movement are still designated “dangerous.” These include the movement’s founder Andriy Biletsky and National Corps.
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