Meta bans RT and other Russian state media on its platforms

Meta announced it will ban Russia Today (RT), Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media outlets from its Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads platforms in the coming days.

The social media giant claims these outlets used deceptive methods to influence people online. RT responded by saying it would find ways around the ban. The Kremlin criticized Meta’s actions, calling them unfair and damaging to international relations.

Meta’s decision came after the Biden administration announced new sanctions on the RT news channel on Friday. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called it a “de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.”

The government stated that RT was involved in spreading propaganda concerning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and influencing the upcoming US elections.

Not the first
Other online platforms, such as YouTube and TikTok, have also taken similar steps in the past. YouTube recently removed over 230 channels connected to these Russian outlets.

In 2022, Russia labeled Meta an “extremist” organization and banned Instagram and Facebook but not WhatsApp.