TikTok deletes Sputnik and RT accounts in response to US sanctions

The social media platform TikTok has removed the accounts of Sputnik and RT due to U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian media.

Attempts to access the profiles of Sputnik Belarus, Sputnik Serbia, Sputnik Afrique, Sputnik Africa, and Sputnik Armenia now result in a notification stating, "Unable to find this account", Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

On September 4, the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and RT, along with several other senior media executives. This action is part of a broader strategy by the State Department to impose stricter regulations on Russian media, designating them as "foreign missions." Under this classification, these outlets are now required to inform US authorities about their assets and personnel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused RT of interfering in the affairs of other nations and engaging in military procurement activities. Additionally, the State Department criticized the network for not adequately supporting Ukraine.

Earlier, US authorities also announced restrictions on visa issuance for individuals allegedly acting in the interests of "Kremlin-backed" media. However, the State Department clarified that these restrictions do not apply to all Russian journalists, but specifically target those involved in illegal activities.