Meta blocks Russian propaganda/ Facebook bans Russian state outlets/ Russian media banned from Meta platforms/ Newslooks/ LONDON/ J. Mansour/ Mornong Edition/ Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced a global ban on Russian state media outlets, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya, over allegations of foreign interference and propaganda. The move comes as part of Meta’s broader efforts to combat Russia’s covert influence operations. The Kremlin criticized the decision, calling it an attack on Russian media and warning that it could strain relations with the tech giant.
Meta Bans Russian State Media: Propaganda Crackdown Quick Looks:
- Meta bans Russian state media, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya, from its platforms globally.
- Meta’s decision targets Russia’s covert influence operations and propaganda.
- The Kremlin condemned the move, calling it “unacceptable.”
- The ban follows U.S. sanctions on RT for its role in Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
- Meta first limited Moscow’s influence in 2022, taking down fake accounts spreading disinformation.
Facebook Owner Meta Bans Russia’s State Media for Spreading Propaganda
Deep Look:
Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced Monday that it would globally ban Russian state media outlets from its platforms, citing concerns over foreign interference and propaganda campaigns orchestrated by Moscow. The ban, which targets major outlets like Rossiya Segodnya and RT (formerly Russia Today), comes in response to allegations that these entities have been using deceptive tactics to promote pro-Kremlin narratives.
Meta’s decision is the latest in a series of actions aimed at curbing Russia’s influence on social media. According to Meta, the ban is a direct response to Russia’s use of covert operations to manipulate public opinion and spread disinformation across its platforms. “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 said in a statement.
The ban will be rolled out over the next few days and is expected to completely block Russian state media from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp globally. Meta’s actions align with broader international efforts to restrict Russia’s online propaganda, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues to intensify.
The move was met with swift condemnation from the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denounced Meta’s actions as “unacceptable” and warned that they could damage future relations between Russia and the tech company. “Meta is discrediting themselves with these actions,” Peskov said during his daily press briefing. He also expressed concern that the ban would complicate the normalization of relations with Meta.
Meta’s decision follows closely on the heels of new U.S. sanctions targeting RT. U.S. officials accused the Russian state media outlet of playing a key role in supporting Moscow’s military efforts in Ukraine and engaging in disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining democratic institutions worldwide. The sanctions claimed that RT had run fundraising campaigns to purchase military equipment, including sniper rifles and body armor, for Russian soldiers on the frontlines.
The U.S. government also alleged that RT operated fake websites disguised as legitimate news outlets, using them to spread pro-Kremlin disinformation across Europe, Africa, South America, and other regions. These efforts were part of a broader strategy to influence international opinion and obscure the realities of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration escalated its pressure on Russian media by seizing several Kremlin-run websites and charging two RT employees with covertly funding a Tennessee-based content creation company. The company was accused of producing English-language social media videos promoting Kremlin-aligned narratives.
Moscow has consistently denied these allegations, dismissing the claims as unfounded.
Meta has been actively fighting against Russian influence operations for several years. In 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Meta took down a sprawling network of fake accounts and sham news websites that were linked to Russia. These accounts were found to be promoting Kremlin talking points about the war and were part of a broader disinformation campaign designed to sway global public opinion in favor of Moscow.
In response to these actions, Russian authorities designated Meta as an “extremist group” in March 2022, blocking access to Facebook and Instagram within the country. Both platforms, along with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), were widely used by Russians before the invasion. Since the crackdown on independent media, Russians have been forced to rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to access these platforms.
Meta has also faced significant backlash from Russian authorities. In April of this year, a Russian court convicted Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, of justifying terrorism. Stone was sentenced to six years in prison in absentia, with the charges stemming from his comments in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, Stone had announced a temporary change to Meta’s hate speech policy, allowing for certain types of political expression, including violent speech directed at Russian invaders. While Stone clarified that calls for violence against civilians were still banned, Russian authorities used his statements as the basis for criminal charges.
Despite these setbacks, Meta continues to prioritize the removal of disinformation networks and propaganda on its platforms. The company’s decision to ban Russian state media marks a significant escalation in its efforts to combat Moscow’s covert influence operations.
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