TikTok, a popular social media platform, has taken a significant step in combating disinformation by banning accounts associated with Russian state media. The move comes as part of TikTok’s efforts to prevent covert influence operations ahead of the upcoming US presidential election in November.
The accounts that have been removed are linked to media group Rossiya Segodnya, which owns well-known news services like RIA Novosti and Sputnik, as well as TV-Novosti, the parent body of the RT news channel. These accounts were previously restricted in the UK and EU, with their content marked as state-controlled media globally. However, TikTok has now made the decision to permanently ban them from the platform.
This action follows a similar move made by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, which also banned accounts associated with Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other entities for engaging in foreign interference activity. RT, which lost its UK broadcast license earlier this year, criticized the ban, claiming that it was censoring the flow of information to the rest of the world.
The Kremlin responded to Meta’s decision by accusing the company of discrediting itself through the ban. As of now, there has been no official response from TikTok regarding their decision to ban Russian state media accounts.
The bans on Russian state media accounts come in the wake of the US filing charges against two RT employees for allegedly attempting to hire an American company to produce online content aimed at influencing the election. This move signals a heightened awareness of the potential impact of foreign interference on democratic processes.
In a separate development, the US Department of Justice shut down nearly 1,000 social media bot accounts in July that were allegedly created to spread Russian disinformation. This action underscores the ongoing concern over the manipulation of social media platforms for propaganda purposes.
The Russian state has faced accusations of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, with a Senate committee concluding that there was a sophisticated campaign to assist in the election of Donald Trump. This history of interference has raised alarm bells about the potential for similar activities in future elections.
Ironically, TikTok itself is facing scrutiny in the US due to concerns that it may share user data with the Chinese government. A new law in the US threatens to ban the platform over these privacy concerns, highlighting the complex landscape of data security and foreign influence in the digital age.
Overall, the bans on Russian state media accounts by TikTok and other social media platforms reflect a growing awareness of the need to safeguard democratic processes from foreign interference. By taking proactive measures to combat disinformation and covert influence operations, these platforms are working to protect the integrity of elections and ensure that users have access to accurate and reliable information.