Meta Bans Russian State Media RT from Its Platforms Over ‘foreign interference activity’
Sep 17, 2024
Meta bans Russian state media like RT and Rossiya Segodnya from all its platforms, citing covert influence operations. The Kremlin criticizes the move as unacceptable.
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Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, has banned Russian state media outlets, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya, from its platforms.
The ban comes after Meta found that these media outlets were involved in covert influence operations. According to Meta, the decision was made to protect users from deceptive tactics used by Russian media.
In a statement, Meta explained, "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."
The ban will be implemented over the next few days, impacting all Meta-owned platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
Kremlin Criticism
The Russian government has not taken this move lightly. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said that Meta's actions are unfair. He stated, "Meta is discrediting itself with these actions. Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable."
Peskov also mentioned that this move would make it harder for Russia and Meta to have normal relations in the future. In 2022, Moscow had already labeled Meta an "extremist" organization.
They even blocked access to Instagram and Facebook in Russia because of changes Meta made to its hate speech policy, allowing users to express anger over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has criticized Meta in the past for limiting the reach of its media outlets. The country has also fined Meta several times for not removing content that Russia considers illegal.
Meta's Past Actions
Meta has previously taken steps to reduce the spread of Russian media on its platforms.
It has also fined these outlets for failing to remove content that Russia wanted taken down. However, Russia has not banned WhatsApp, which is used by millions of people in the country.
Even though Facebook and Instagram are blocked in Russia, the ban on Russian media from Meta’s platforms will still have some impact, especially on WhatsApp. Meta expects Russian media to keep trying to use tricks to get around these bans.
Alternatives for Russian Media
As a result of these blocks, Russian media outlets may shift to other platforms. Telegram, a messaging app created by Russian founder Pavel Durov, is very popular in Russia.
Additionally, VK Video, a platform owned by state-controlled tech firm VK, offers an alternative to YouTube. YouTube has also come under pressure in Russia for blocking Russian state media.
US Involvement
The decision by Meta comes shortly after the United States filed charges against two employees of RT, accusing them of money laundering. They allegedly hired an American company to create online content to influence the 2024 U.S. election.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said that countries should treat Russian state media activities the same way they would handle covert intelligence operations.
RT has responded by accusing the U.S. of trying to prevent it from operating as a legitimate media organization.
Meta remains firm in its stance, saying it has detected efforts by Russian state media to hide their true motives online in the past and expects them to continue doing so.
