Sep 17, 2024 - World

Meta bans Russian state media outlet RT over "foreign interference" scheme

Avery Lotz

The Meta logo displayed on a laptop screen is seen in this photo illustration. Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Meta is banning RT and other Russian state media outlets due to "foreign interference activity" after the U.S. accused the organizations of advancing an election interference scheme.

Why it matters: The Justice Department (DOJ) alleged in an indictment earlier this month that employees of the Kremlin-backed outlet spent millions to direct an American company and several right-wing influencers to unwittingly publish Russian propaganda.

RT has more than 7 million followers on Facebook and 1 million on Instagram.

Driving the news: "After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

"Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," the statement continued.

Flashback: Facebook's parent company announced in 2022 that it would restrict access to Russian state media on its platforms after Russia invaded Ukraine.

That same year, Meta said it had shut down a troll farm linked to a sanctioned Putin ally and Russia's Internet Research Agency.

The other side: The Kremlin slammed Meta's decision, CBS reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that, "With this action, Meta discredits itself."
He continued: "Such actions against Russian media are unacceptable."

What's next: The company said enforcement of the ban would take effect in the coming days.

RT's account was inaccessible on Facebook as of early Tuesday morning.

Go deeper: 2024's triple threats on election disinformation

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Meta bans Russian state media outlet RT over "foreign interference" scheme

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