Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced a ban on several Russian state media networks, citing their use of deceptive tactics to conduct influence operations and evade detection on its platforms. The decision reflects an escalation in Meta’s approach to managing foreign interference on its social media sites.
In a statement, Meta explained, “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.”
The ban is expected to take effect in the coming days. In response, RT newsreader Eunan O’Neill stated that the broadcaster, along with Russia, denies the allegations that have been leveled against them in recent days. He remarked, “It’s cute how there’s a competition in the West — who can try to spank RT the hardest, in order to make themselves look better.”
The Russian embassy in Washington and the owner of the Sputnik news agency, Rossiya Segodnya, have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the ban.
This move comes amid increasing scrutiny of Russian state media outlets, which have been accused of attempting to influence political landscapes in Western countries. Meta, which also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, previously implemented limited measures against Russian state-controlled media, such as restricting their advertising and limiting content reach.
Following the onset of the war in Ukraine, Meta complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block certain Russian state media in those regions. Recently, the U.S. accused RT of paying a Tennessee firm $10 million to create and distribute content aimed at U.S. audiences, allegedly embedding hidden Russian government messaging.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also announced new sanctions against RT, labeling it a “de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.” He emphasized that RT is part of a broader network of Russian-backed media outlets that have sought to undermine democracy in the United States.
In a livestream of Blinken’s remarks, RT dismissed the accusations as the “US’s latest conspiracy theory,” asserting that they would continue to find ways to operate despite the restrictions imposed on them……..see original copy @BBC