Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Monday that it has enacted a global ban on the Russian state media broadcaster RT and other Kremlin-affiliated networks.
This decision follows allegations that these outlets have been involved in deceptive influence operations and attempts to circumvent detection.
“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,” a Meta spokesperson explained in a statement.
Prior to this ban, RT had amassed a following of 7.2 million on Facebook and 1 million on Instagram.
RT has yet to respond to CNN’s request for comment.
This ban is part of a broader crackdown on Russian media. Just days before, the US Justice Department had charged two RT employees with diverting nearly $10 million into Tenet Media, a US company identified
The funds were used to produce and promote content favorable to Russian interests, targeting American audiences in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election.
Tenet Media is known for its association with prominent right-wing and pro-Trump figures, including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson, who have since claimed to be unwitting participants in the alleged Russian scheme.
Following the Justice Department’s announcement, RT issued dismissive statements that did not directly address the allegations.
The indictment is part of a broader effort by the US government to counter Russian state media influence.
On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT’s leadership of orchestrating an online crowdfunding campaign to supply military equipment to Russian forces in Ukraine.
Meta’s decision to ban RT is the latest development in a prolonged conflict between American social media companies and Russian state actors. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Meta had already restricted Russian state-run media from advertising on its platforms.
Executives from Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) are scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday regarding their efforts to address foreign threats to US elections.
