Meta said it banned RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media networks, claiming it had observed attempts by state-controlled Russian media outlets to evade detection of their online activities in the past, and expected them to continue to attempt to engage in deceptive practices in the future.
“After careful consideration, we have expanded our actions against Russian state media outlets. We have now banned Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other related entities from our apps globally due to foreign interference activity,” the company said in a statement .
Meta said the ban will begin in the coming days. In addition to Facebook, Meta's apps include Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
The ban is a sharp escalation in Meta's actions against Russian state media, after years of taking limited steps, such as preventing outlets from running ads and limiting the reach of their posts.
Meta's move came after the US brought money laundering charges against RT employees in a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against Russian state-backed media company RT, formerly known as Russia Today, after saying it operated as an arm of Russia's intelligence service.
Blinken said that in 2023, the Russian government created a new unit at RT with cyber operational capabilities and connections to Russian intelligence with the aim of spreading Russian influence in countries around the world through information operations, covert influence, and military procurement.
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on three entities and two individuals linked to Russia's state media agency Rossiya Segodnya.
The decision comes after an announcement earlier this month that RT had funneled nearly $10 million to conservative American influencers through a local company to produce videos aimed at influencing the outcome of the November US presidential election.
Meta began restricting state-controlled Russian media two years ago.
