Meta bans Russian state media outlets

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Facebook owner Meta said Monday that it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms.

"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," it said in a statement.

The move came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions Friday against the Russian state-backed media company RT, formerly known as Russia Today, claiming that it possessed cyber capabilities and engaged in “covert information influence operations and military procurement."

“Today, we’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world,” Blinken said.

“Russian weaponization of disinformation to subvert and polarize free and open societies extends to every part of the world," he added.

Earlier this month, US authorities unsealed an indictment against two employees of Russian broadcaster RT and seized 32 internet domains on accusations of interference in the November presidential elections.

Russia denied any attempts to interfere in the elections, dismissing the charges.