Meta blocks Russian propaganda media on its platforms
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Meta, the owner of Facebook, has announced a complete ban on its platforms of such Russian state media outlets as RT and Rossiya Segodnya. According to the company, these outlets used deceptive methods to conduct covert influence operations on the Internet, citing Reuters.
This decision by Meta marks a serious escalation of measures against Russian state media, which were previously limited to blocking ads and reducing the coverage of posts. RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other related organizations will now be completely banned from Meta's apps worldwide, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
This ban was imposed after the US accused two RT employees of money laundering and attempting to influence the 2024 elections.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on other countries to treat RT as a tool of Russia's intelligence operations. RT, for its part, ridiculed these accusations and called them an attempt to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organization.
Meta's ban may have a limited impact on Russia's response, as platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have already been blocked in the country since 2022, when Moscow declared Meta an "extremist" organization. However, WhatsApp, which is still not banned in Russia, remains popular among millions of users.
Sanctions against RT
In early September, the United States accused Russia of interfering in the election and imposed sanctions on a number of individuals and organizations. Among them is Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, a TV channel known for its propaganda activities.
On September 13, the US expanded the sanctions by adding RT to the list, claiming that it cooperates with Russian intelligence services.
In addition, the United States imposed sanctions on the Russian media group Rossiya Segodnya and its CEO Dmitry Kiselyov.
