Meta Bans Russian State Media Over Covert Influence Operations

Meta, Facebook's parent company, has banned Russian state media networks like RT and Rossiya Segodnya from its platforms. The decision escalates Meta's efforts to tackle deceptive influence operations related to Russian state media. Enforcement will unfold globally across Meta’s apps, which include Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Monday a ban on Russian state media networks RT and Rossiya Segodnya, along with other related entities, from its platforms. The tech giant cited the use of deceptive tactics in covert influence operations as the reason.

This significant move is a dramatic escalation from Meta's prior actions which included blocking these outlets from running ads and reducing their reach. The ban will be enforced across all of Meta's apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, in the coming days.

The Russian embassy did not respond to requests for comments, while the White House also declined to comment. This development follows U.S money-laundering charges against RT employees and remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, suggesting that RT's activities should be treated akin to covert intelligence operations.

Meta has reiterated that it expects Russian state media to continue attempting to evade detection and engage in deceptive online practices.

(With inputs from agencies.)