Tue Sep 17 05:14:17 UTC 2024: ## Facebook Parent Company Bans Russian State Media Outlets for “Influence Operations”
**Menlo Park, CA** – Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has banned several Russian state media networks, including RT and Sputnik, for allegedly engaging in deceptive tactics to influence audiences and avoid detection on its platforms. The move marks an escalation of Meta’s stance against Russian state media, which has been accused of spreading disinformation and undermining Western democracies.
Meta cited “foreign interference activity” as the reason for the ban, stating that the outlets used deceptive tactics to avoid detection and conduct influence operations. The company claims these outlets “have repeatedly violated our policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior and spam.”
The bans are expected to take effect within the next few days.
In a statement, RT denied the accusations, calling them “cute” and claiming that their “partisans” will find ways to circumvent the ban.
The Russian Embassy in Washington and Rossiya Segodnya, the owner of Sputnik, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This latest move comes amidst heightened scrutiny of Russian state media outlets in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the US accused RT of paying a Tennessee firm $10 million to create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging. The US government has also accused RT of being a de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.
Meta’s decision to ban Russian state media follows similar measures taken by other social media platforms. The company has already complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block Russian state media in those regions.
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