Facebook, TikTok and Microsoft are cracking down on Kremlin-backed news outlets RT and Sputnik following the European Union's ban on Russian state media.
"We have received requests from a number of governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time," said Nick Clegg, vice president of global affairs at Facebook parent Meta.
A spokesperson for TikTok told NPR it was also blocking the two outlets in the EU. The moves mean people using the social media apps in EU countries won't be able to access pages or content posted by RT and Sputnik.
Microsoft on Monday said it would drop RT's news apps from its smartphone app store, not display any RT or Sputnik content on its Microsoft Start news feed and MSN.com, and push the sites down in Bing search results.
On Sunday, EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced a ban on the two outlets, which she described as "the Kremlin's media machine."
"The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war," she tweeted.
The Russian media outlets have emerged as a flashpoint for social media platforms, which are under pressure to curb Russian propaganda and disinformation about the war in Ukraine.
RT and Sputnik have amassed large followings on apps including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, where...
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