Google, Meta, and TikTok ban Russian drone manufacturer on social media
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Google, Meta, and TikTok have removed social media accounts belonging to an industrial enterprise in Tatarstan, Russia. This enterprise was reportedly involved in recruiting young foreign women for drone production, reports the Associated Press.
Accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok were removed following an investigation published by the agency on October 10, which detailed the working conditions at a drone production factory located in Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone, currently under sanctions from the US and the UK.
Videos and other social media posts promised young women, primarily from Africa, free flights to Russia and salaries of over $500 per month.
However, some reported that they unexpectedly learned they would be working at a weapons manufacturing plant, assembling thousands of Iranian-designed strike drones intended for deployment in Ukraine, rather than receiving training in fields such as hospitality and food service.
In interviews with AP, some of the women who worked at the facility complained about prolonged surveillance, broken promises regarding wages, and exposure to hazardous chemicals.
American tech companies also deleted the accounts of the Alabuga Polytechnic Institute, a vocational boarding school whose graduates are considered drone production specialists.
In total, the removed accounts had at least 158,344 subscribers, and one TikTok page garnered over a million likes.
AP's investigation into Alabuga.
Russia may have acquired another type of long-range drone that can be used for strikes against Ukraine. This refers to the Iranian Shahed-101.
