Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced a global ban on several Russian state media networks, including Rossiya Segodnya and RT, citing their involvement in deceptive influence operations.
This decision marks an escalation of Meta’s stance towards Russian state media, as it had previously restricted their advertising and content reach on its platforms.
The ban comes amid growing concerns about Russian state media’s role in influencing Western politics, with Meta accusing these outlets of foreign interference. The move follows similar actions by the EU, UK, and Ukraine, which blocked certain Russian media following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
In response, RT newsreader Eunan O’Neill denied the allegations on behalf of the broadcaster and Russia, calling the accusations baseless.
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Washington and Rossiya Segodnya have yet to comment.
The announcement comes after the U.S. accused RT of covertly influencing American audiences through a Tennessee firm and imposed sanctions on RT, labeling it as a tool of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted RT’s role in spreading narratives that undermine U.S. democracy, accusing it of being intertwined with Russian cyber operations.
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