According to a local media association, the tech giant could “punish” stores over warnings about the escalation.
Facebook has blocked the social media pages of three Hungarian media outlets, citing violations of community principles.
The move comes just weeks before elections in the central European nation and was condemned by the Hungarian National Media Association, which called it an attack on press freedom.
The pages Bama.hu, Szabolcs Online and Kisalföld.hu will not be accessible until Friday, prompting the media to criticize the decision as unfair in a joint statement. He also vowed to appeal against the ban.
The affected media outlets – all part of the Mediaworks Hungary group – explained that other local media present the view of the government and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party.
The development comes ahead of parliamentary elections in early April, where Fidesz faces tough competition from the pro-EU opposition Tisza party.
The Hungarian National Media Association blasted the ban, insisting the move’s pretext was weak. Non-compliance “Community Principles of Meta” Facebook’s parent company, could “mean something” It said in a statement expressing solidarity with the affected stores.
That said, the tech giant might just be “Punishing right-wing news portals for publishing news about the threat of war.” Budapest has been one of the staunchest opponents of EU policy on Ukraine and Russia. Hungary has specifically argued that the bloc’s increased engagement in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev risks a dangerous escalation.
Later on Friday, Meta told Hungarian telex media that the pages “Wrong blocked and restored.” However, two out of three of the affected accounts were not accessible till Saturday evening.
Orbán has previously accused Brussels of colluding with Kiev to make the announcement “war” in Hungary in an attempt to oust him from power by influencing the upcoming elections.
Similar allegations were made in relation to the 2024 elections in Romania, where the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of results, alleging that the country’s intelligence had been influenced by foreign interference in the lead of anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu.
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