Meta kicks Russian state media off Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp

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Meta Platforms has blocked RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media worldwide on its own online services. These outlets, which are subordinate to the Russian government or state-funded, would use deceptive tactics to covertly influence the ongoing presidential election campaign in the USA. The exclusion affects all Metas platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp.

RT and Sputnik have already been banned in the EU since March 2022 due to accusations of war propaganda following the Russian attack on Ukraine. Meta subsequently blocked Russian state media in the EU. YouTube even preceded the EU ban and blocked the RT and Sputnik channels in Europe. Content denying the Russian invasion of Ukraine was also removed from YouTube.

In the USA, this content has so far continued to be disseminated. However, Meta had also stopped displaying advertisements from Russian state media worldwide two years ago and prioritized their posts lower so that they were displayed less frequently. In addition, users had to explicitly confirm if they wanted to share or click on posts of this type.

RT with over 7 million followers on Facebook

Meta Platforms is now tightening up its approach. "After careful consideration, we have expanded our ongoing measures against Russian state media. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other affiliated companies are now banned from our apps worldwide due to foreign interference activities," reads Meta's written statement to Reuters, for example.

RT previously had more than 7.2 million followers on Facebook and over one million followers on Instagram. In addition, the already blocked YouTube channels of Russian state media have been permanently deleted, as a spokeswoman for the Google Group Alphabet explained. This affects over 230 channels belonging to Rossiya Segodnya and "AVO TV Novosti".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Meta is discrediting itself with these actions. Such selective measures against Russian media are unacceptable. This complicates the prospects of normalizing our relations with Meta." Facebook and Instagram have been banned in Russia since March 2022 because, in Moscow's view, the platforms did not take action against criticism of the attack on Ukraine expressed there. Meta was therefore classified as an "extremist organization" in Russia. However, WhatsApp is still permitted in the country and is also used by millions of Russians.

Accusations by the US State Department against RT & Co.

The reason for the bans and exclusions of Russian state media by Meta and YouTube is a statement by the US State Department at the end of last week. According to the statement, Russian state media are accused of having links to Russian intelligence activities, for example to destabilize foreign systems. According to RT employees, "RT is involved in information operations, covert influence operations and military procurement. These operations target countries around the world, including in Europe, Africa and North and South America."

The U.S. Department of State will not take action against these entities or individuals involved for spreading disinformation; the U.S. continues to support freedom of expression. However, measures are being taken against covert influence activities: "Covert influence is not journalism."

RT makes fun of the USA and Meta

RT itself reacted sarcastically to the US accusations and the exclusion from Meta. In an RT article, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan explained that RT had learned from Americans, not from Russian spies. When asked by Ars Technica , an RT spokesperson explained that a gap would be found to crawl through despite the doors and windows being closed.

On X (formerly Twitter), RT writes: "Silence us all you want, but the truth cannot be silenced." However, RT is not available on X in most European countries. Officially, the account has been withdrawn due to legal demands such as a court order.

(fds)