On September 16, Meta announced that it would be banning Russian state media outlets from all its platforms globally. This decision comes amid accusations of “foreign interference activity,” which the tech giant claims have been linked to Russia. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, took this action following a careful review of the situation.
“After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets,” Meta stated in a response to Agence-France Presse (AFP). “Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity.”
U.S. Indictment of RT
The ban follows a U.S. indictment accusing RT and its employees of funneling millions of dollars through shell entities to covertly fund influence campaigns on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. The indictment, unsealed in New York, reveals that RT had been involved in extensive covert efforts to sway public opinion, particularly in Western countries.
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RT had already ceased formal operations in Britain, Canada, the European Union, and the United States after sanctions were imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. prosecutors cited RT’s editor-in-chief, who allegedly said the organization had built “an entire empire of covert projects” designed to influence Western audiences.
Covert Content Creation
One of the covert projects involved funding an online content creation company in Tennessee, which received direction from Russia. Since its launch in late 2023, this U.S.-based operation produced almost 2,000 videos, which garnered over 16 million views on YouTube.
Prosecutors provided an example from the indictment, where a content producer expressed frustration over being pushed to release a video featuring a “well-known U.S. political commentator visiting a grocery store in Russia.” The producer described the video as “overt shilling” but ultimately agreed to post it. Viewers of these videos were never informed that the content was funded by RT.
“RT has pursued malign influence campaigns in countries opposed to its policies, including the United States, in an effort to sow domestic divisions and thereby weaken opposition to Government of Russia objectives,” the indictment read.
Russia’s Influence Operations
Since 2017, Russia has been the largest source of covert influence operations on Meta’s platforms, according to routine threat reports from the company. These operations saw a notable increase after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with efforts focusing on deceiving global audiences through a range of online tactics.
In an earlier move, Meta banned the Federal News Agency in Russia to combat interference activities by the Russian Internet Research Agency. By early 2023, the Russian government expanded RT’s operations, integrating them with “cyber operational capabilities” and strengthening ties to Russian intelligence, as noted by the U.S. State Department.
The cyber capabilities tied to RT were reportedly used to support both influence and intelligence-gathering efforts across the world. Information gathered through these covert operations was believed to flow back to Russian intelligence services, Russian media outlets, and mercenary groups.
U.S. Diplomatic Push to Curb Russian Influence
In a broader response to Russia’s influence activities, the U.S. State Department has been engaging in diplomatic efforts to raise awareness among foreign governments. These efforts aim to curb Russia’s use of media outlets like RT to interfere in elections and procure arms for the war in Ukraine.
The State Department has encouraged global leaders to take action to prevent Russia from influencing political outcomes in foreign countries, as well as to limit its ability to acquire weapons for its ongoing military efforts. The worldwide ban of Russian state media on Meta’s platforms marks a significant step in limiting Russia’s influence through digital channels.
