Meta Bans Russian State Media for Covert Influence Operations

Meta, Facebook's parent company, announced a global ban on RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media platforms for using deceptive tactics to influence online activities. This marked a significant escalation following U.S. money-laundering charges against RT employees. Enforcement will roll out over the coming days.

Meta, the owner of Facebook, announced on Monday a global ban on RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media networks. The social media giant cited the use of deceptive tactics to perpetrate covert influence operations online as the reason behind the decision.

'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 company stated in a written communication. The enforcement will be rolled out over the coming days across apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

This move marks a significant escalation by Meta against Russian state media, which previously faced ad bans and limited post reach. U.S. officials have recently filed money-laundering charges against two RT employees for alleged activities aimed at influencing the 2024 election. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recommended treating RT's operations as covert intelligence activities, a stance that RT has criticized, accusing the U.S. of stifling its journalistic operations.

(With inputs from agencies.)