Facebook parent Meta bans Russian websites

Facebook owner Meta has announced that it is blocking Russia’s state controlled RT, days after the US administration accused the media outlet of carrying out “covert influence activities” aimed at undermining American elections and democracies.

“After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement as cited by NBC News.

Meta, whose apps include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, started limiting Russian state-controlled media two years ago and the enforcement of the ban announced Monday (local time) is expected to roll out in the next several days.

The State Department said it is starting a diplomatic campaign to alert nations about the risks associated with RT activities and disclosed declassified US intelligence findings suggesting RT is completely integrated with Russia’s intelligence operations worldwide.

“We took these steps based on our conclusion that Rossiya Segodnya and these five subsidiaries are no longer merely firehoses of Russian Government propaganda and disinformation; they are engaged in covert influence activities aimed at undermining American elections and democracies, functioning like a de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus,” the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Friday.

Blinken alleged that the leaders of RT oversaw an online crowdfunding project to provide military gear to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, in addition to their covert influence operations.

According to Blinken, Russian forces engaged in combat in Ukraine received “sniper rifles, suppressors, body armour, night vision equipment, drones, radio equipment, personal weapon sights, and diesel generators” as a result of the crowdfunding campaign, reported CNN.

“Thanks to new information, much of which originates from RT employees, we know that RT possessed cyber capabilities and engaged in covert information and influence operations and military procurement,” Blinken said.

The announcement by the US State Department comes as part of a larger US government initiative to reduce RT’s influence around the world, according to CNN.

“We’re taking steps to hold accountable those who weaponise disinformation to undermine our democracy. That’s what we did just last week when the State Department, the Justice Department, the Treasury Department, and the FBI took a series of coordinated actions to counter Russian influence and interference in our elections and in our democracy,” Blinken said.

“In addition to imposing sanctions, visa restrictions, and other measures, the State Department also designated the Russian state-funded and directed media company Rossiya Segodnya and five of its subsidiaries, including RT, under the Foreign Missions Act. As a result, these actors are now required to notify the State Department of all personnel working in the United States as well as their property,” he added.

Notably, the announcement of sanctions comes just a week after federal prosecutors declared that two RT staff members would face criminal charges for surreptitiously transferring about USD 10 million to a US business in order to produce and promote programming that favoured Russian interests.