Meta Bans Russian State Media Networks for 'Foreign Interference Activities'

Facebook’s parent company Meta announced it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media networks from its platforms. The company accused these outlets of employing deceptive tactics to conduct covert influence operations online.

This move represents a significant escalation in Meta’s response to Russian state media, which had previously involved more restrained measures like blocking ads and limiting the visibility of their posts.

"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 social media company said in a written statement.

Meta announced that the implementation of the ban will be gradual over the next few days. Besides Facebook, Meta’s suite of apps includes Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

The Russian embassy did not reply immediately to a request for comment, and the White House declined to provide a statement.

Meta's decision followed the United States' recent filing of money-laundering charges against two RT employees, who officials allege were involved in a scheme to contract an American company for creating online content aimed at influencing the 2024 election.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken encouraged that the activities of the Russian state broadcaster RT be used like covert intelligence operations. In response, RT has censored the U.S. actions, claiming they are an attempt to hamper the broadcaster’s ability to function as a journalistic structure.

In briefing materials provided to Reuters, Meta indicated that it had previously observed Russian state-controlled media attempting to evade detection in their online activities and anticipated that these entities would persist in their efforts to engage in deceptive practices in the future.