Meta blocks Russian broadcaster RT worldwide

Kremlin transmitter

Facebook group Meta blocks Russian broadcaster RT worldwide

The Russian broadcaster RT has been blocked in the EU as a propaganda machine since 2022. Now the Meta Group is banning Kremlin TV globally from apps such as Facebook and Instagram.

Seven weeks before the US presidential election, the Facebook company Meta is putting a stop to the spread of Russian state propaganda via media such as the TV channel RT. RT (formerly Russia Today) and several affiliated organizations will be banned from the company's apps worldwide, Meta announced. In addition to Facebook, the group also includes Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. RT has been blocked in the EU since spring 2022 due to disinformation campaigns surrounding the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

Last Friday, the US government accused RT of interfering in “the sovereign affairs of countries around the world.” The state broadcaster is participating in covert influence operations and working hand in hand with the Russian military, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The government in Washington had previously accused Russia of interfering in the US presidential election campaign – after similar accusations had already been made in the context of previous elections. The USA has now imposed sanctions on several people and organizations, including representatives of RT.

Meta had already taken action against Russian state media after Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022 and, among other things, slowed the distribution of their articles. From the company's perspective, Russia remains the largest source of covert influence operations.

Meanwhile, on Elon Musk's online platform X (formerly Twitter), RT accounts are still available outside the EU and some other countries. After taking over the service, the tech billionaire also had markings that Twitter had previously used to identify state media removed.