Facebook To 'Restrict Access' To Russian State Media Oulets RT, Sputnik In EU
Facebook says its "restricting access" to the Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik News for users in the European Union, citing a demand from European leaders, who are seeking to crack down on Russian disinformation.
“We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media,” Meta’s VP for Global Affairs Nick Clegg said in a tweet on Monday.
“Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time,” he added.
In addition to Facebook, Meta also own Instagram and WhatsApp. However, Meta has yet to elaborate on what the restricted access will actually look like.
The day before, the European Commission announced it would ban the “Kremlin’s media machine” in the EU for circulating alleged disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to internet users on the continent.
“The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, as well as their subsidiaries will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war and to sow division in our Union,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a speech. “So we are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe.”
On the same day, the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland sent letters to the biggest social media companies, demanding they comply with new restrictions banning RT, Sputnik and other Russia state-owned media outlets from using their services in the EU.
In addition, the letter calls on US tech companies to “proactively” suspend accounts found engaging in justifying or glorifying wars of aggression, and to also shut down social media accounts belonging to
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