Meta, the company that owns Facebook, bans RT and other Russian media outlets for alleged foreign interference.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, expressed his disapproval of Meta’s selective actions against Russian media outlets.
Meta recently announced a ban on RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media on its social media platforms due to allegations of foreign interference.
According to Meta, Russian state media will now be restricted from accessing their apps globally, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
In a statement, Meta mentioned, “After careful consideration, we have extended our enforcement actions against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and related entities are now globally banned from our apps for engaging in foreign interference.”
Responding to this ban, RT posted on X platform stating, “Meta can ban us all it wants” and provided links to alternative platforms.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov criticized Meta, saying, “Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable and tarnish Meta’s reputation. It complicates the prospects for normalizing our relations with Meta.”
It is worth noting that Russia designated Meta as an extremist group in 2022.
The ban by Meta follows the accusations from the U.S. State Department against RT for involving in covert influence activities and military procurement targeting various nations.
The U.S. State Department announced sanctions against TV-Novosti, Rossiya Segodnya, and their director, Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselev, alleging the use of proxy outlets to spread content covertly and evade responses to Russia’s actions.
Allegations also include RT’s funding of social media personalities for disseminating unbranded content to manipulate outcomes, as well as providing material support to Russian military units stationed in Ukraine.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, RT’s expanded covert capabilities allowed coordination with Russian intelligence services to influence elections globally, including alleged interference in Moldova’s 2024 presidential election.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted two RT employees for conspiracy to commit money laundering, accusing them of distributing content with hidden Russian government messaging.
Reuters contributed to this report.
