US Secretary of State: RT has become a branch of Russian intelligence
The group announcedMetaAmerican, especially the owner of applications Facebook Instagram and WhatsApp said Monday night that they had banned Russian state media from their platforms worldwide, in order to prevent any “foreign interference activity.”
The ban comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russian state media outlet RT on Friday of engaging in destabilizing activities, saying it had become a “branch” of Russian intelligence.
“After careful consideration, we have expanded our existing actions against Russian state media,” a Meta spokesperson said.
“Russia Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps around the world due to foreign interference activity,” he added.
“We know that RT has cyber capabilities and has engaged in covert operations to influence media and obtain military equipment,” Blinken told reporters on Friday, referring in particular to the group’s activities in Moldova.
“Russia’s use of disinformation as a means of subverting and polarizing free and open societies extends across the globe,” he added.
“We urge every ally and every partner to start treating RT’s activities as they do other Russian intelligence activities within their borders,” he added, hailing an initiative jointly led by the United States, Britain and Canada.
Blinken’s statement came after US authorities revealed a package of measures, including criminal prosecutions and sanctions, targeting RT in particular, in response to attempts to interfere in the US presidential elections.
The US State Department has imposed visa restrictions on RT’s media group, Rossiya Segodnya, as well as other companies affiliated with the group.
