Meta bans Russian State media networks, citing foreign interference
- In Reports
- 04:46 PM, Sep 17, 2024
- Myind Staff
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced it is banning several Russian state media networks, accusing them of using deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations and evade detection on its platforms. Among the outlets targeted are Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and related entities.
"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 statement.
The bans, which are expected to come into effect in the next few days, mark a significant escalation in Meta’s stance towards Russian state media companies. Two years ago, the tech giant took limited actions to restrict the reach of Russian state-controlled media, including stopping these outlets from running advertisements on its platforms. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Meta has complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block certain Russian media outlets in those regions.
In response, RT newsreader Eunan O'Neill refuted the claims, stating, "Russia categorically denies the wave of accusations that have recently been directed at this channel and others."
The Russian embassy in Washington and Rossiya Segodnya, the owner of the Sputnik news agency, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Russian state media outlets have faced increasing scrutiny in recent years, particularly over allegations of attempting to influence political events in Western countries. Earlier this month, the US accused RT of paying a Tennessee firm $10 million to distribute content promoting hidden Russian government messaging to US audiences. The indictment detailed that these videos often promoted right-wing narratives on topics such as immigration, gender, and the economy and were "edited, posted, and directed" by RT employees.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against RT, labelling it a "de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus." Blinken accused RT of working with a network of Russian-backed media outlets that seek to covertly undermine democracy in the US. He added that the Russian government has "embedded within RT, a unit with cyber-operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence."
Meta's move reflects a broader trend of major social media platforms taking stronger actions against disinformation campaigns. Other companies, including Twitter (now known as X) and YouTube, have similarly imposed restrictions on Russian state media since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict. These efforts signal a growing determination by tech firms to curb foreign influence operations and protect the integrity of democratic discourse online.
Image source: NDTV World
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