Menlo Park, California: Meta has announced a ban on Russian state media outlets across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, due to concerns over ‘foreign interference activity’. The decision comes as part of Meta’s ongoing efforts to combat disinformation and propaganda campaigns, particularly those tied to government actors. The move is seen as a direct response to Russian state-backed operations aiming to influence public opinion during the ongoing geopolitical tensions related to the war in Ukraine.
The company said in a written statement that, “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 emphasized that the decision was based on a pattern of behaviour by these outlets, which violated the company’s policies on misinformation, foreign interference, and harmful content. U.S. had filed money-laundering charges against two RT employees, accusing them of hiring a U.S. company to produce online content aimed at influencing the 2024 election.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against RT, now known as Russian State Media, following revelations from its employees that it was operating as “a de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.”
Blinken said that, “Today, we’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world, Russian weaponization of disinformation to subvert and polarize free and open societies extends to every part of the world.”
This ban is part of a broader strategy by Meta to strengthen its defences against election-related manipulation and foreign influence on its platforms. The move reflects the growing tension between tech companies and state actors seeking to exploit digital platforms for geopolitical gain.
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