Meta has announced a global ban on some of Russia's largest state media outlets, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya, across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. The move, which Meta says is due to "foreign interference activity," will take effect in the coming days and follows similar restrictions in the European Union. Meta explained, "After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets."
This ban aligns with recent U.S. actions, including sanctions targeting Russian media accused of spreading disinformation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, "RT is functioning as a de facto arm of [Russian] intelligence." State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin added, "The broad scope and reach of RT, where propaganda, disinformation, and lies are spread to millions if not billions around the world" has led to outcomes unfavorable to U.S. foreign policy.
Russian media and officials quickly condemned the decision. RT responded with sarcasm, noting, "META/Facebook already blocked RT in Europe two years ago, now they’re censoring information flow to the rest of the world." The outlet emphasized its ability to adapt, saying, "Where they close a door, and then a window, our ‘partisans’ will find the cracks to crawl through."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also criticized the move, saying, "Meta discredits itself with actions of this kind. Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the sanctions as "a declaration of war on free speech," calling them "repressions unprecedented in scale."
Meta's actions further complicate the strained relationship between Russia and U.S. tech giants, with Russian officials viewing these moves as part of a broader information war waged by the West.
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