Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that it is banning several Russian state media outlets from its social media platforms due to alleged foreign interference activity. This ban includes RT (formerly known as Russia Today) and Rossiya Segodnya, among others. The ban will apply globally to Meta’s apps, including facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
In a statement, Meta explained that after careful consideration, they have expanded their ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. They stated that these entities are now banned from their apps globally for engaging in foreign interference activity.
RT responded to the ban on the social media platform X by stating that “Meta can ban us all it wants” while providing links to alternative platforms.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Meta’s actions and accused them of discrediting themselves. He argued that selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable and will complicate efforts to normalize relations with Meta. It is worth noting that Russia designated Meta as an extremist group in 2022.
This ban comes shortly after the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on RT and Rossiya Segodnya for engaging in covert influence and military procurement activities targeting countries worldwide. The department accused RT of using proxy outlets to disseminate content covertly and evade Western responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Washington, RT allegedly used state funding for two years to recruit and pay social media personalities who would disseminate unbranded content while concealing their involvement with RT. The department also claimed that an online crowdfunding platform operated within RT provided material support and weaponry to Russia’s military units stationed in Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that a unit within RT had cyber operational capabilities embedded by the Kremlin with connections to Russian intelligence agencies. He alleged that this allowed coordination between RT employees and traditional Russian intelligence services in manipulating democratic elections not only in the United States but also around the world.
Furthermore, Blinken accused RT of coordinating directly with the Kremlin to influence Moldova’s presidential election scheduled for October 2024.
Earlier this month, two employees from RT were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) with conspiracy to commit money laundering for paying a Tennessee-based company nearly $10 million. The DOJ alleges that this payment was made in exchange for creating and distributing content containing hidden Russian government messaging targeted at U.S audiences.
It is important to note that Reuters contributed information used in this report.
