WASHINGTON: Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, has announced a global ban on several Russian state media networks, including Rossiya Segodnya and RT. The company alleges these outlets use deceptive methods to conduct influence operations and evade detection on its platforms.
Meta stated, “After careful consideration, we have expanded our enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and related entities are now banned from our apps globally due to foreign interference activities.” The bans are expected to take effect within the next few days.
The Russian embassy in Washington, RT (formerly Russia Today), and the owner of the Sputnik news agency, Rossiya Segodnya, have not yet responded to BBC requests for comment.
Russian state media have faced intensified scrutiny for alleged attempts to influence Western politics. Meta’s latest move represents a significant escalation in its stance against Russian state media. Two years ago, the company imposed more limited restrictions, such as banning ads from these outlets and reducing their content reach.
Following the onset of the war in Ukraine, Meta, along with other social media platforms, complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block certain Russian state media in those regions.
Earlier this month, the US accused RT of paying a Tennessee firm $10 million to create and distribute content with concealed Russian government messaging. An indictment revealed that videos promoting right-wing narratives on issues like immigration, gender, and the economy were secretly edited and directed by RT employees.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against RT, describing it as a ” arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.” Blinken accused RT and its network of media outlets of covertly undermining US democracy, alleging that RT has a cyber unit connected to Russian intelligence.
RT live-streamed Blinken’s remarks on X, dismissing them as the “US’s latest conspiracy theory.”
