TikTok has scrubbed all accounts associated with Russian state media from the platform, citing their participation in “covert influence operations” ahead of the US presidential election.
The short-form video streamer announced on Monday that it has deleted all accounts associated with TV-Novosti – the parent organization of Russian state media RT – and Rossiya Segodnya, the entity behind the Kremlin news agencies RIA Novosti and Sputnik. A spokesperson told NBC that the permanent bans stem from violations of its Community Guidelines, specifically its rules against misleading behavior.
The same accounts had has already been limited in the European Union and Great Britain. Additionally, TikTok has previously deemed their content ineligible to appear in users’ “For You” sections due to their “attempts to influence foreign viewers on topics of global events and business.”
Both RT and Sputnik published reports over the weekend that their accounts had been deleted without explanation, but did not provide further insight.
“TikTok users and our 86,000 subscribers no longer get to know the truth on the most pressing geopolitical issues and laugh at the abuse of Western politicians in Sputnik International videos,” Sputnik said in a post on X.
TikTok noted that its cleanup is part of an ongoing effort to protect its 170 million US users and stay ahead of “evolving threats” ahead of the 2024 election.
The move is coming a week after Meta Platformswhich owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, said it banned Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities from its apps, sparking backlash from the organizations as well as the Kremlin.
The U.S. Justice Department has repeatedly warned that Russia is a key threat to the integrity of the upcoming presidential election, and in recent months officials have filed indictments, sanctions and public advisories detailing steps taken by foreign adversaries to influence the election. , including an indictment targeting a covert Russian operation to spread pro-Russia content to the United States audience.
With News Wire Services