Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Monday that it is banning Russian state media outlets, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya, from its platforms globally. The decision follows claims that these outlets engaged in deceptive tactics to conduct covert influence operations online. This move marks a significant escalation in Meta’s actions against Russian state media, which previously involved blocking ads and limiting the reach of posts.
“After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity,” Meta stated, noting that the enforcement would be rolled out in the coming days across its platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
The Kremlin sharply criticized Meta’s decision. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, accused the company of discrediting itself, calling the selective action against Russian media “unacceptable” and saying it complicates any normalization of relations with Meta. Russia had already labeled Meta an “extremist” organization in 2022 and blocked Instagram and Facebook, after Meta adjusted its hate speech policies to allow users to express anger over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the existing bans on Facebook and Instagram in Russia, WhatsApp remains widely used in the country, though Moscow has not banned the messaging platform. Telegram, another widely-used app in Russia, is run by a Russian founder who is currently under investigation in France.
In light of these developments, VK Video, an alternative platform run by state-controlled tech firm VK, has risen in prominence as YouTube faces pressure in Russia for its own attempts to block Russian state media. The White House declined to comment on Meta’s decision, but U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently compared Russian state media’s activities to covert intelligence operations, further intensifying tensions.
Meta has stated it expects Russian state-controlled media to continue attempting to evade detection and engage in deceptive practices despite the global ban.
