Meta and YouTube Ban Russian State Media for 'Foreign Interference' (cnn.com) 21
Meta (the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) announced Monday that Russian state media outlets like RT are now "banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," reports CNN.
CNN adds that Meta is alleging that the "Kremlin-controlled networks" have "engaged in deceptive influence operations and attempted to evade detection... Prior to Monday's ban, RT had 7.2 million followers on Facebook and 1 million followers on Instagram." The move comes days after the US Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a US company, identified by CNN as Tenet Media, to create and amplify content that aligned with Russian interests. The covert influence campaign was aimed at the American public ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, US officials said.
Last week the U.S. State department "revealed declassified U.S. intelligence findings that suggest RT is fully integrated into Russia's intelligence operations around the world," CNN reported earlier" In addition to its covert influence operations, the leaders of RT also administered an online crowdfunding effort to supply military equipment to Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Blinken alleged. The crowdfunding effort supplied "sniper rifles, suppressors, body armor, night vision equipment, drones, radio equipment, personal weapon sights, diesel generators" to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, according to Blinken.
The goal of the U.S. announcement — and private discussions with allied diplomats — is to make sure that countries know that RT and Russian intelligence agencies are working together to sow division and harm democratic processes, while simultaneously making it much more difficult for RT to operate globally, a senior administration official said...
Asked for comment by CNN, RT responded with a mocking email that read in part: "We've been broadcasting straight out of the KGB headquarters all this time."
More from Reuters: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that countries should treat RT's activities as they do covert intelligence operations... In briefing materials shared with Reuters, Meta said it had seen Russian state-controlled media try to evade detection in their online activities in the past and expected them to continue trying to engage in deceptive practices going forward.
A YouTube spokesperson told Reuters they've also terminated over 230 channels affiliated with Kremlin-controlled outlets — channels which were previously only blocked from viewers.
YouTube "began blocking Russian state-sponsored news channels globally in 2022," reports NBC News, "including those tied to RT and Sputnik. Over the years, according to YouTube, the platform has blocked thousands of channels and millions of videos." James Rubin, coordinator for the State Department's Global Engagement Center, said RT is "where propaganda, disinformation and lies are spread to millions, if not billions, of people around the world."
CNN adds that Meta is alleging that the "Kremlin-controlled networks" have "engaged in deceptive influence operations and attempted to evade detection... Prior to Monday's ban, RT had 7.2 million followers on Facebook and 1 million followers on Instagram." The move comes days after the US Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a US company, identified by CNN as Tenet Media, to create and amplify content that aligned with Russian interests. The covert influence campaign was aimed at the American public ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, US officials said.
Last week the U.S. State department "revealed declassified U.S. intelligence findings that suggest RT is fully integrated into Russia's intelligence operations around the world," CNN reported earlier" In addition to its covert influence operations, the leaders of RT also administered an online crowdfunding effort to supply military equipment to Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Blinken alleged. The crowdfunding effort supplied "sniper rifles, suppressors, body armor, night vision equipment, drones, radio equipment, personal weapon sights, diesel generators" to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, according to Blinken.
The goal of the U.S. announcement — and private discussions with allied diplomats — is to make sure that countries know that RT and Russian intelligence agencies are working together to sow division and harm democratic processes, while simultaneously making it much more difficult for RT to operate globally, a senior administration official said...
Asked for comment by CNN, RT responded with a mocking email that read in part: "We've been broadcasting straight out of the KGB headquarters all this time."
More from Reuters: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that countries should treat RT's activities as they do covert intelligence operations... In briefing materials shared with Reuters, Meta said it had seen Russian state-controlled media try to evade detection in their online activities in the past and expected them to continue trying to engage in deceptive practices going forward.
A YouTube spokesperson told Reuters they've also terminated over 230 channels affiliated with Kremlin-controlled outlets — channels which were previously only blocked from viewers.
YouTube "began blocking Russian state-sponsored news channels globally in 2022," reports NBC News, "including those tied to RT and Sputnik. Over the years, according to YouTube, the platform has blocked thousands of channels and millions of videos." James Rubin, coordinator for the State Department's Global Engagement Center, said RT is "where propaganda, disinformation and lies are spread to millions, if not billions, of people around the world."
Re: (Score:2)
This is slashdot not a political forum full of democrats
You're sitting at -1 right now, so I'm not so sure about that . . .
Re: (Score:1, Troll)
Fox News.
And free speech does include manipulating, lying and deception. What's much worse is that "a certain group of Americans" now thinks the President should be immune to commit any crime, that the immunity extends to prevent even the collection of evidence, and further extends to cover when that President is not even in office.
Re: (Score:1)
Fox News.
And free speech does include manipulating, lying and deception. What's much worse is that "a certain group of Americans" now thinks the President should be immune to commit any crime, that the immunity extends to prevent even the collection of evidence, and further extends to cover when that President is not even in office.
You see it's ok to break the law as long as the right, white people do it.
Re:Media with an orange tint (Score:4, Informative)
manipulating, lying and deception should be considered free speech.
I mean it's within American free speech laws that you are allowed to do that, even as a foreign country.
The part that's illegal is not declaring that you are in fact a foreign actor doing it. As an example Tenet Media isn't under indictment for misinformation, they violated FARA by hiding it behind an American company (anyone heard from Lauren Chen and her husband lately? I think there's more coming off of that story.)
Re: (Score:2)
No, what's really sad is when manipulating, lying and deception are treated more favorably by the legal process than publicly calling someone who engages in these acts a manipulator, liar, or deceiver.
If you want to know what they're saying... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Fox News... I mean, you can't compare an insane conservative propaganda outlet pandering to conspiratards to a professional operation trying to influence useful idiots.
Much like Western media, the bias is more subtle, but there's a difference in that Putin's giving the orders. In the West, it's rarely the government that is determining what propaganda points to push.
Re: (Score:2)
In soviet Russia... No... Wait... In corporatist America, propaganda influences government!
Re: (Score:2)
Propagandists need to make sure all potential audiences are covered. You have Fox News which boomers turn on for entertainment when there isn't a football game on. I would imagine RT's audience trends younger and attracts more people who are seeking actual news. Hence it is designed to "look professional".
I bet I know... (Score:1)
I bet I know which social media site they'll get the red carpet treatment...
Wow it must be (Score:1)
Iâ(TM)m gonna guess that the fed quietly threatened to label Zuckerberg as a foreign agent if he kept playing kissy-kissy with Russian propaganda.
Xtwit will welcome them (Score:2)
Elon is all for free speech especially if you're a fascist authoritarian MAGA lover.
Not so much for others.
People actually buy this narrative? (Score:1)
And can't see they're being manipulated into tax dollars -> corrupt politicians and related corporations?
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, a certain segment of the population does buy into this narrative. But then, they didn't know [cnn.com], so how could you blame them?