Facebook owner Meta bans Russian state media networks

Russian state media outlets have come under increased scrutiny over claims they have tried to influence politics in Western countries.

As well as Facebook, social media giant Meta owns Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

The move marks an escalation in world’s biggest social media firm’s stance towards Russian state media companies.

Two years ago, Meta took more limited measures to limit the spread of Russian state-controlled media, including stopping the outlets from running adverts on its platforms and limiting the reach of their content.

After the start of the war in Ukraine, Meta – like other social media platforms – complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block some Russian state media in those regions.

Earlier this month, the US accused state broadcaster RT of paying a Tennessee firm $10m (£7.6m) to “create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging”.

An indictment said videos – which often promoted right-wing narratives on issues such as immigration, gender and the economy – were secretly “edited, posted, and directed” by two RT employees.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against RT, accusing it of being a “de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus”.

The top US diplomat told reporters on Friday that RT is part of a network of Russian-backed media outlets which have sought to covertly “undermine democracy in the United States”.

He added that the Russian government has “embedded within RT, a unit with cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence”.

RT live-streamed Mr Blinken’s remarks on X and declared it the “US’s latest conspiracy theory”.