Meta bans Russian state media networks, including RT

Facebook parent Meta announced Monday it is banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media outlets from its platforms, claiming the networks used deceptive tactics to conduct covert influence operations online.

The ban represents a sharp escalation in the social media giant’s actions against Russian state media, following years of more limited measures, such as blocking the outlets from running ads and reducing the reach of their posts.

“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 said in a written statement.

The enforcement of the ban will be rolled out over the coming days, according to Meta. In addition to Facebook, Meta’s apps include Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The White House declined to comment.

Meta’s move follows U.S. money-laundering charges earlier this month against two RT employees for allegedly hiring an American company to produce online content intended to influence the 2024 election.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that countries should treat the activities of Russian state broadcaster RT similarly to covert intelligence operations.

RT has mocked the U.S. actions and accused the United States of trying to prevent the network from functioning as a journalistic organization.

In briefing materials shared with Reuters, Meta said it had observed Russian state-controlled media attempting to evade detection in their online activities in the past and expected them to continue such deceptive practices.

Reuters