Owner of WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads and Facebook says that outlets like “RT” engage in “foreign interference activity”
Meta announced on Tuesday (17.Sep.2024) the ban on the Russian vehicle RT and other media companies from their platforms by “foreign interference”. The vehicle pages in the Facebook and in the Instagram are already inaccessible.
“After careful consideration, we have expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state-owned media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related media companies are now banned globally on our platforms for foreign interference activities.”, declared a Meta spokesperson, quoted by the agency Reuters.
The decision comes after increased tensions between the United States and Russia, especially due to accusations of interference in the 2024 US presidential elections.
In early September, the US imposed sanctions on 10 Russian individuals and two entities as part of a US government effort to punish Moscow’s alleged efforts to interfere in the presidential election.
The US Treasury Department, through OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) accused Russia of using artificial intelligence and disinformation tools to discredit US electoral processes and institutions. In addition, it stated that the RT would be financed by the Kremlin and “would have secretly recruited North American influencers.”
According to the agency, “law enforcement actions” would be taken against the media group Russia today. Among its subsidiaries, in addition to RTare RIA Novosti, TV-Novosti, Ruptly and Sputnik.
“The Kremlin has increasingly adapted its efforts to conceal its involvement, developing a vast ecosystem of Russian proxy sites, fake online personas, and front organizations that give the false appearance of being independent news sources unconnected to the Russian state.”, OFAC said.
In addition to the sanctions, the Department of Justice ordered the designation of Rossiya Segodnya and its subsidiaries as “foreign agents”.
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