Facebook owner Meta said on Monday it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state-backed media networks, alleging they are using deceptive tactics to conduct influence operations while evading detection on the social media company's platform.
“After careful consideration, we have expanded our ongoing crackdown on Russian state media. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other associated entities are now banned from our apps globally for alleged foreign interference,” the company said in a statement.
The company said the ban will take effect in the coming days. Meta's apps include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
The Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The ban marks a sharp escalation in the actions of the world's largest social media company against Russian state media after years of more limited measures such as banning the outlets from advertising or reducing the reach of their posts.
This comes after the United States earlier this month charged two RT employees with money laundering, after officials said they had planned to hire US companies to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against Russia's state-owned media company, formerly known as Russia Today, after new information from one of its employees revealed that the company was “operating like a de facto arm of the Russian intelligence service.”
“Today, we are exposing how Russia is deploying similar tactics around the world,” Blinken said. “Russia's weaponization of disinformation to subvert and polarize free and open societies has spread to every region of the world.”
Blinken claimed the Russian government was setting up a new unit within RT in 2023 with “cyber operations capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence” and aimed at expanding Russian influence around the world through information operations, covert influence and military procurement.
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Blinken said the U.S. Treasury Department would impose sanctions on three entities and two individuals linked to the Russian state-run Rossiya Segodnya media outlet. The decision came after disclosures earlier this month that RT had diverted about $10 million through a local company to conservative U.S. influencers to produce videos aimed at influencing the outcome of November's U.S. presidential election.
Speaking to reporters at the State Department on Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT of crowdfunding weapons and equipment for Russian troops in Ukraine, including sniper rifles, sights, bulletproof vests, night vision devices, drones, radios and diesel generators. Some of the equipment, including surveillance drones, may come from China, Blinken said.
Blinken also detailed how RT had targeted countries across Europe, Africa and the Americas. In particular, he said RT's leadership had worked directly with the Kremlin to target Moldova's elections scheduled for October 2024. Moldova is a former Soviet state in Europe where Russia has been accused of waging a hybrid war to exert greater influence. In particular, he said RT's leadership “sought to stoke unrest in Moldova, possibly with the explicit aim of transforming protests into violence.”
“RT is aware of, and stands ready to assist, Russian plans to incite protests if the Russian-backed candidate does not win the election,” Blinken said.
Andrew Ross contributed Report
