An official Russian agency earlier this week warned Facebook that it may face a ban in the country over the display of illicit advertisements.
According to reports, Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal communications and media supervisory body, said that Facebook displays ads featuring smoking blends that claim to have the same effects as those caused by illegal drugs.
Roskomnadzor said on Thursday that it has put Facebook on a list of banned sites as an interim measure while the site has been ordered to remove and cease from displaying the ads in question.
Roskomnadzor spokesman Vladimir Pykov said that Facebook had three days to follow the directive to remove the ads.
The spokesman said that more than a few users of the world's largest social network forwarded their concern over the ads to the agency saying that ads on the site direct to online stores selling these smoking blends.
Facebook said the ads were displayed because of a glitch. The site also said later on Thursday that the ads have been removed.
Image from Bryan Jones on Flickr (CC)f
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