This action follows allegations that RT and its affiliates were involved in a scheme to secretly channel $10 million through shell companies to fund influence operations on social media, including platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube, according to a recently unsealed indictment.
Meta confirmed the ban, stating, “After thorough review, we have decided to extend our enforcement actions against Russian state media outlets.” This means that RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and associated entities will no longer be allowed on Meta’s services, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
The Kremlin criticized Meta’s decision, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it an action that undermines Meta’s credibility and asserting that such measures against Russian media are unacceptable.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, RT was forced to halt operations in the UK, Canada, the European Union, and the United States due to sanctions. The indictment details that RT created a network of covert operations aimed at influencing public opinion in Western countries.
One such operation involved a content creation company in Tennessee, which, since its inception in late 2023, produced nearly 2,000 videos that amassed over 16 million views on YouTube. According to the indictment, this company was directed to produce content without disclosing its RT funding, including a video of a U.S. political commentator visiting a grocery store in Russia, which the content producer felt was overtly promotional.
The indictment asserts that RT’s covert activities were designed to create divisions within target countries, weakening opposition to Russian government objectives. The U.S. State Department has indicated that these operations are linked to Russia’s intelligence services and various proxy groups, and that Meta’s platform has been a primary target for Russian influence operations since 2017.
In response to these findings, Meta had previously taken action against the Russian Federal News Agency and other associated entities. The State Department is also engaged in global diplomatic efforts to inform other governments about Russia’s covert operations and to advocate for measures to limit Russia’s interference in foreign elections and its procurement of weapons for its conflict with Ukraine.
