Meta cracks down: Russian state media banned across all platforms

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced a sweeping ban on Russian state media outlets including RT and Rossiya Segodnya across all its platforms.

Meta stated that these media organizations employed deceptive practices to conduct covert influence operations online, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

This move represents a significant escalation in Meta's approach to Russian state media, which previously only involved restricting advertisements and limiting post visibility.

The new ban extends to all of Meta's applications, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, effectively removing RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and associated entities from its global network.

This action follows recent allegations from the US accusing two RT employees of money laundering and attempts to interfere in the 2024 election. Although Instagram and Facebook have been blocked in Russia since 2022, when Moscow labelled Meta an "extremist" organization, WhatsApp remains accessible and widely used by millions in Russia.