Meta has banned RT and other Russian state media from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. “After careful consideration, we have expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media,” the company told Engadget in a statement. “Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally due to foreign interference.” Meta shared briefing materials with Reutersin which the company said it had found evidence in the past that Russian outlets had taken measures to prevent their foreign interference from being detected online. It said it expected the outlets to continue their deceptive practices. The ban will be enforced in the coming days.
The company’s announcement comes days after the Biden administration publicly accused RT of spreading propaganda and disinformation online. Authorities said RT spreads propaganda and information to justify and support the invasion of Ukraine using media outlets that target local populations, such as those focused on Africa and France.
In 2022, Meta restricted Russian state media’s access to Facebook in Ukraine at the government’s request, in an effort to limit the distribution of its content. In response, Russia blocked Facebook in the country a few days later and opened a criminal case against the company. A judge later found Facebook and Instagram guilty of “extremist” activities, effectively banning Meta from opening offices and doing business in Russia.
