New York: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Monday that it is banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media networks from its platforms. The decision follows allegations that these outlets used deceptive tactics to conduct covert influence operations online.
This move represents a significant escalation in Meta’s actions against Russian state media, which previously involved more limited measures such as blocking ads and reducing post visibility. “After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity,” Meta stated.
The ban will be enforced over the coming days across Meta’s suite of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
The Russian embassy has not yet responded to requests for comment, and the White House declined to provide a statement. This decision follows recent developments, including U.S. money-laundering charges against two RT employees, who were accused of hiring an American firm to produce content aimed at influencing the 2024 election.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently suggested that Russian state broadcaster RT’s activities should be treated similarly to covert intelligence operations. RT has criticized these actions, accusing the U.S. of attempting to hinder its operations as a journalistic entity.
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Meta’s briefing materials reveal that Russian state-controlled media have attempted to evade detection in their online activities before and are expected to continue employing deceptive practices in the future.
