Russian State Media Banned from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp for 'Secret Influence Operations'

Social media company Meta has banned Russian state media, including TV channel RT and news agency Rossia Segodnja. According to its parent company, Meta, the media are guilty of conducting clandestine influence operations online. The ban applies to all Meta subsidiaries, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Meta had previously taken other measures, such as removing advertisements from the propaganda channels and limiting the reach of their articles. However, since these measures were being circumvented, Meta has now imposed a worldwide ban. In the coming days, the media from the social platform will disappear.

Russia has not yet responded to the decision, nor has RT. In the past, RT has mocked accusations that the channel illegally serves the interests of the Kremlin, viewing such measures as a restriction on press freedom.

Facebook and Instagram are banned in Russia. Meta is considered an "extremist organization" since the company adjusted its hate speech policy in 2022 to allow criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. WhatsApp is still allowed and has millions of users.

Disinformation

Meta's decision comes shortly after the U.S. justice department accused two RT employees of paying millions to an American company to influence the American public ahead of the elections. They allegedly siphoned off $10 million to sow discord among Americans, according to the indictment.

These activities were part of a broader Russian plan to exert influence in the U.S. via social media, argued the U.S. Department of Justice. Through fake accounts, disinformation was to be spread, such as crimes committed by Ukrainian migrants and "the loss of jobs for white Americans."

In response to the accusations, the U.S. imposed financial sanctions on RT. The channel RT had been banned in the U.S. as a "foreign agent" since 2017.