© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Facebook and TikTok block Russian state media in Europe

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, 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 they push a pro-Kremlin agenda. RT, which has more than 7 million followers on its main Facebook page and 4.6 million subscribers to its main YouTube channel, has framed Russia's invasion as a response to Ukrainian aggression and toed the Kremlin's line in calling it a "special operation."

Google and Facebook are also blocking Russian state media in Ukraine at the request of the government there. Along with Microsoft, they have also cut off state-backed outlets from using their advertising tools.

Earlier on Monday, Twitter said it would put warning labels on tweets with links to stories from Russian state media. It's also making it less likely people will see these tweets, similar to what it has done with false claims about the 2020 election and COVID-19.

Editor's note: Meta pays NPR to license NPR content. Microsoft is among NPR's financial supporters.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Shannon Bond is a business correspondent at NPR, covering technology and how Silicon Valley's biggest companies are transforming how we live, work and communicate.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content