Seven weeks before the US presidential election, the Facebook Group Meta the spread of Russian state propaganda through media such as the TV channel RT a stopRT (formerly Russia Today) and several affiliated organizations are banned from the company’s apps worldwideas Meta announced.
In addition to Facebook, the group also owns 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 involved in covert influence operations and is 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 been made in connection with previous elections. The USA has now imposed sanctions on several people and organizations, including representatives of RT.
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Meta had already taken action against Russian state media after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and had, among other things, slowed the distribution of their content. From the company’s point of view, Russia remains the largest source of covert influence operations.
