Meta hit with fines by Turkiye after refusing to restrict content on Facebook, Instagram

The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, on June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Meta said it has been hit with a hefty fine for resisting Turkish government demands to limit content on Facebook and Instagram.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been trying to restrict opposition voices on social media after widespread protests erupted following the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, who’s a key rival.

“We pushed back on requests from the Turkish government to restrict content that is clearly in the public interest, and have been fined by them as a consequence,” the company said in a statement.

The social media company did not disclose the size of the fine, except to say it was “substantial” and did not provide any more details about the content in question. The Associated Press has approached the Turkish government for comment.

“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,” Meta said.

In recent years the Turkish government has increasingly sought to bring social media companies under its control. When protests erupted following the March 19 arrest of opposition Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, many social media platforms such as X, Instagram and Facebook were blocked.

More than 700 individual X accounts, including those belonging to journalists, media outlets, civil society organizations and student groups, were blocked, according to the Media and Law Studies Association. X said it would object.

Dozens have been arrested for social media posts deemed to be supporting the protests.

Associated Press, The Associated Press