Meta Obeys US Government Directive, Bans Russia's RT from Facebook and Instagram
In response to a directive from the US government, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has banned all activities of Russian state broadcaster RT and other Moscow-funded networks on its platforms.
On Tuesday, Meta announced that it was removing RT from its platforms worldwide, aligning with the Biden administration's allegations of deceptive influence operations. A spokesperson from Meta stated, "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."
Consequently, no RT page or channel will remain on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. RT's Facebook page, which had 7.2 million followers, and its Instagram page, with one million followers, have both been removed.
Russia's Reaction to Meta's Ban
The Kremlin responded to Meta's move on Tuesday, criticizing the company and stating that this action complicates the prospects for normalizing relations with Meta. RT also responded, asserting that "US Big Tech cannot stop RT from making its voice heard" and noted that Meta had previously blocked RT in Europe two years ago and is now censoring information flow to the rest of the world.
US Government's Global Campaign Against RT
Starting last Friday, the US government escalated its campaign against the state-funded English language broadcaster, urging all nations to block its broadcasts and shut down its offices. RT America's offices in the US were closed in 2022 after being officially labeled a foreign agent by the US government, leading to major platforms dropping its programming. However, the Biden administration introduced a new initiative on Friday aimed at exposing RT as part of "malign global intelligence and influence operations."
Meta has promptly complied with Washington's directives.
Allegations Against RT
Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that RT had cyber capabilities and was involved in covert information and influence operations and military procurement. US officials also allege that Russian intelligence used RT to crowdfund for military gear, with information produced under the guise of RT flowing to Russian intelligence services, Russian media outlets, Russian mercenary groups, and other state and proxy arms of the Russian government.
RT responded to these allegations on its international broadcast, which it later released on X. Elon Musk, owner of X, has not yet shown any intention to ban RT from his platform.
US Government's Anti-RT Initiative and the Upcoming Election
The timing of this major anti-RT initiative is intriguing, considering the upcoming November election in the US. Administration officials and the Democratic party have been reviving the old 'Russiagate' talking points against Trump. There have also been warnings from US officials about 'foreign interference' in the election, with China and Iran also allegedly meddling. However, this is all part of the ongoing information war related to the Ukraine conflict.
Bottom Line
The ban on RT by Meta, following the directive of the US government, marks a significant moment in the ongoing battle against alleged foreign interference in global affairs. It raises questions about the role of big tech companies in regulating information and the extent to which governments can influence these decisions. What are your thoughts on this development? Share this article with your friends and let's discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
