Source: Meta bans RT and other Russian state media networks | Reuters
Facebook owner Meta (META.O), opens new tab said on Monday it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms, claiming the outlets had used deceptive tactics to carry out covert influence operations online.
The ban, strongly criticised by the Kremlin, marks a sharp escalation in measures by the world’s biggest social media company against Russian state media, after years of more limited steps such as blocking the outlets from running ads and reducing the reach of their posts.
“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,” the social media company said in a written statement.
Enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days, it said. In addition to Facebook, Meta’s apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday: “Meta is discrediting itself with these actions. Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable …
“This complicates prospects for normalising our relations with Meta.”
Moscow branded Meta an “extremist” organisation in 2022 and blocked Instagram and Facebook, objecting to changes in Meta’s hate speech policy designed to allow users to vent their anger over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
脸书所有者 Meta (META.O) 周一表示，将禁止 RT、俄罗斯卫星通讯社和其他俄罗斯国家媒体网络进入其平台，声称这些媒体使用欺骗手段在网上开展秘密影响行动。 这项禁令受到克里姆林宫的强烈批评，标志着全球最大社交媒体公司针对俄罗斯官方媒体采取的措施急剧升级，此前多年来一直采取诸如阻止媒体投放广告和缩小帖子覆盖范围等更为有限的措施。 该社交媒体公司在一份书面声明中表示：“经过仔细考虑，我们扩大了对俄罗斯官方媒体的持续执法力度。俄罗斯新闻社、RT 和其他相关实体现在因外国干涉活动而被全球禁止使用我们的应用程序。” 据称，该禁令的执行将在未来几天内展开。除了脸书之外，Meta 的应用程序还包括 Instagram、WhatsApp 和 Threads。 克里姆林宫发言人德米特里·佩斯科夫周二对记者表示：“梅塔的这些行为正在抹黑自己。这种针对俄罗斯媒体的选择性行为是不可接受的…… “这使我们与 Meta 关系正常化的前景变得复杂。” 莫斯科于 2022 年将 Meta 称为“极端主义”组织，并屏蔽了 Instagram 和脸书，反对 Meta 旨在允许用户发泄对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的愤怒的仇恨言论政策变化。
