Facebook parent Meta on Tuesday said it was fined a “substantial amount” in Turkey for failing to comply with government orders to suspend accounts linked to widespread protests following the detention of the opposition mayor of İstanbul, Agence France-Presse reported.
“We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental right and that our platforms should be a place where users around the world can exercise this right,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
“Government requests to restrict speech online alongside threats to shut down online services are severe and have a chilling effect on people’s ability to express themselves,” it added.
Meta declined to give the exact amount of the fine.
Elon Musk-owned X has also received orders to suspend hundreds of accounts, which the company has largely complied with as it fights the demands in courts.
According to Politico, most of the X accounts belonged to university-linked activists sharing protest information and were suspended in Turkey only.
Since March 19, Turkey has been gripped by massive anti-government protests following the detention of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The protests have been met with a sharp crackdown, prompting opposition leader Özgür Özel to call for a boycott of businesses allegedly close to Erdoğan’s government.
