Meta has globally banned Russian state media Russia Today and other Kremlin-controlled networks.

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, has announced that it has globally banned the Russian state media organization RT (Russia Today) and other Kremlin-controlled networks. This decision comes after the US Department of Justice accused RT employees of conducting a covert influence campaign targeting the American public ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.

Meta claims that these organizations have engaged in deceptive influence operations and have tried to avoid detection. Prior to the ban, RT had 7.2 million followers on Facebook and 1 million on Instagram.

This move is part of the increasing pressure by the US government against Russian state media. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT of crowdfunding online to provide military equipment to Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

In the coming days, Meta expects executives from Microsoft and Alphabet to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee about their efforts to combat foreign threats to US elections.