Meta bans Russia state media across all platforms as “covert influence” operations threaten US election
17 Sep 2024
In a sharp escalation by the world’s biggest social media company, Meta has announced it will ban RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
Source: © VOA News VOA News Meta will ban RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads
The ban comes days after US officials seized 32 Russian-backed websites accused of sowing disinformation ahead of the 2024 elections.
The Facebook owner made the statement on Monday, 16 September, reported by Reuters saying that the outlets used “deceptive tactics” to carry out “covert influence” operations online.
A written statement says, "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.”
Reuters says that briefing materials shared with it, “Meta said it had seen Russian state-controlled media try to evade detection in their online activities in the past and expected them to continue trying to engage in deceptive practices going forward”.
Previously Meta had taken limited actions against Russian state media, including blocking them from running ads and reducing the reach of their posts.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, Meta - like other social media platforms - complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block some Russian state media in those regions
Reuters says the Russian embassy did not respond to a request for comment, while the White House declined to comment.
RT, formerly Russia Today, and the owner of the Sputnik news agency, Rossiya Segodnya, did not immediately respond to the BBC requests for comment, reports the news outlet.
Enforcement of the ban will roll out in the coming days.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken claims Russia State media channel RT has been "functioning like a de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus" within the United States. pic.twitter.com/8bHGSGRxLG
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 13, 2024
Influence the US election
Earlier this month the US filed money-laundering charges against two RT employees.
Officials say this was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.
The US accused state broadcaster RT of paying a Tennessee firm to "create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging".
It says RT funnelled nearly $10m to conservative US influencers through the local company to produce videos meant to influence the outcome of the US presidential election in November.
The BBC says an indictment said videos - which often promoted right-wing narratives on issues such as immigration, gender and the economy - were secretly "edited, posted, and directed" by the two RT employees.
Undermine democracy in the US
Last week US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that countries should treat the activities of RT as they do covert intelligence operations.
He told the media RT is part of a network of Russian-backed media outlets which have sought to covertly "undermine democracy in the US".
“RT is aware of and prepared to assist Russia’s plans to incite protests should the election not result in a Russia-preferred candidate winning the presidency, “ he stated.
Blinken said the Russian government has "embedded within RT, a unit with cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence" intending to spread Russian influence in countries around the world through information operations, covert influence and military procurement.
He added, “Today, we’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world. Russian weaponisation of disinformation to subvert and polarise free and open societies extends to every part of the world.”
RT declared Blinken's remarks as the "US's latest conspiracy theory". It accused the US of trying to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organisation.
About Danette Breitenbach
Danette Breitenbach is a marketing & media editor at Bizcommunity.com. Previously she freelanced in the marketing and media sector, including for Bizcommunity. She was editor and publisher of AdVantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. She has worked extensively in print media, mainly B2B. She has a Masters in Financial Journalism from Wits.
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