Tue Sep 17 13:59:58 UTC 2024: ## Meta Bans Russian State Media from Platforms, Accusing Them of Propaganda

**LONDON** – Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has announced a global ban on Russian state media outlets, including RT (formerly Russia Today) and Rossiya Segodnya. The company alleges that these outlets used deceptive tactics to amplify Kremlin propaganda, citing their involvement in covert influence operations. The ban will be implemented over the next few days.

The move has drawn strong condemnation from the Kremlin, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it “unacceptable” and claiming Meta is “discrediting itself.” He further stated that the action “complicates the prospects for normalizing relations with Meta.”

RT, in a statement, dismissed the ban as a “competition in the West” to “spank” the outlet. Rossiya Segodnya, the parent company of state news agency RIA Novosti and Sputnik, did not respond to requests for comment.

Meta’s action comes days after the United States announced new sanctions against RT, accusing the outlet of being a key component of Russia’s war machine and its efforts to undermine democratic adversaries. US officials allege that RT was directly involved in fundraising campaigns for Russian military equipment and utilized its websites to spread disinformation and propaganda across Europe, Africa, South America, and other regions.

Meta has previously taken steps to limit Russian state media’s online reach, including labeling posts and content from these outlets, blocking them from running ads, and lowering their content in users’ feeds. In 2022, Meta dismantled a sprawling Russia-based disinformation network spreading pro-Kremlin talking points about the invasion of Ukraine.

Following the invasion, Moscow designated Meta as an extremist group in March 2022, blocking Facebook and Instagram within Russia. Both platforms, along with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), were popular among Russians before the crackdown on independent media and critical speech. These platforms are now only accessible through virtual private networks.

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