The banned media outlets are all owned and/or operated by the Russian government. Meta says they use deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations, and as a result has banned the outlets from its various apps – which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
The bans are expected to take effect in the coming days.
Eunan O’Neill, who is based in Northern Ireland but has been RT’s main English-language news anchor since 2022, said the broadcaster “and Russia as a whole denies the accusations that have been coming en masse against this channel and others in the past number of days.”
Other outlets have refused to comment.
The ban is an escalation of Meta’s efforts to crack down on Russian media influence on its apps. It has previously taken more conservative steps, including blocking outlets’ adverts and limiting the reach of their posts.
Shortly before Meta’s ban, US secretary of state Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against RT, formerly known as Russia Today. He accused the outlet of “functioning like a de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus.”
Blinken added that a new unit, which the Russian government established in RT last year, had ties to Russian intelligence. The unit’s goal was to spread Russian influence in countries around the world through information operations, covert influence and military procurement.
Earlier this month the US Justice Department said it had disrupted a coordinated Russian influence and disinformation campaign using well-known right-wing personalities. The operation was funded by the Russian state and intended to amplify existing divisions and promote Russian interests, like opposition to the war in Ukraine.
