On Monday, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced a ban on RT, Rossiya Segodnya, and other Russian state media outlets across its platforms, citing the use of misleading tactics for covert online influence operations. This decision represents a significant escalation in the company's actions against Russian state media, following years of more limited measures such as restricting advertising and diminishing the visibility of their posts.

"Following thorough evaluation, we have intensified our enforcement against Russian state media. Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and associated entities are now globally prohibited from our applications due to foreign interference activities," the company stated in an official announcement.

The implementation of this ban will occur over the next few days. Besides Facebook, Meta's portfolio includes Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

The Russian embassy has not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters, and the White House has also refrained from making a statement.

In 2022, Moscow labeled Meta as an "extremist" organization and promptly blocked access to Instagram and Facebook, protesting against modifications to Meta's hate speech policy that allowed users to express their frustrations regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has previously condemned Meta's attempts to limit the reach of Russian media and has imposed fines on the company for failing to remove content deemed illegal within its borders.

The existing bans on Instagram and Facebook may hinder Russia's capacity to counter Meta's prohibition on state media; however, WhatsApp remains operational in Russia, as it is crucial for information dissemination.

Telegram Messenger, founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, who is currently under formal investigation in France, is also widely utilized in Russia.

VK Video, managed by the state-controlled technology firm VK, serves as an alternative to YouTube, which faces growing scrutiny in Russia for its efforts to restrict Russian state media channels.

Meta's decision followed the recent filing of money-laundering charges by the United States against two employees of RT, who were allegedly involved in a scheme to contract an American firm for producing online content aimed at influencing the 2024 election.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Friday that nations should regard the operations of the Russian state broadcaster RT as akin to covert intelligence activities. In response, RT has ridiculed the actions taken by the U.S. and accused the country of attempting to hinder its function as a journalistic entity.

According to briefing materials provided to Reuters, Meta indicated that it has previously observed efforts by Russian state-controlled media to avoid detection in their online operations and anticipates that such deceptive practices will persist.