Meta, the US company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced on Monday, September 16, that it was banning Russian state media from its platforms worldwide to prevent any “foreign interference.”
How reports CNN Greece, the ban comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the destabilising activities of Russian media outlet Russia Today (RT), which he said had “become a 'branch' of the Russian secret services.” Meta said in a statement:
“After careful consideration, we have expanded our actions against Russian state media. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other organizations are currently blocked from our platforms around the world due to foreign interference activities.”
Earlier, the US authorities announced a series of measures aimed primarily at Russian media, including criminal charges and sanctions, to combat attempts to interfere in the US elections, which they blame on Russia.
RT, which began its activities in 2005, is considered in the West to be an organ of Kremlin propaganda. The TV channel, in turn, commented ironically on America's actions and accused the US of preventing the journalistic organization from functioning.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on Telegram: “I believe that a new profession should be created in the US: a specialist in sanctions against Russia.”
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