Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Monday that it is banning Russian state media outlets, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya, from its platforms.
According to Meta, these outlets used misleading tactics to conduct covert influence campaigns online.
Meta had previously only limited their activity by stopping ads and reducing the visibility of their posts.
In its statement, Meta said it had carefully reviewed the situation and decided to expand the ban to all of its apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. The ban will be implemented over the next few days.
This move follows recent US money-laundering charges against two RT employees, who were accused of hiring an American company to create content aimed at influencing the 2024 election.
In response, RT criticized the US, accusing it of trying to prevent the broadcaster from functioning as a legitimate news organization.
Meta also noted that Russian state media has previously tried to hide its activities online and is expected to continue using deceptive strategies
