TikTok removes Russian state media accounts ahead of U.S. election

TikTok has removed accounts associated with Russian state media for engaging in “covert influence operations” ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

The short-form video sharing company said Monday the changes affect accounts associated with TV-Novosti—the parent organization of the Russian state media RT—and Rossiya Segodnya, the entity behind Kremlin news agencies RIA Novosti and Sputnik.

The U.S. Department of Justice has said that Moscow remains the primary threat to elections even as a hack by Iran this year has also targeted the presidential campaigns of both political parties. U.S. officials in recent months have used criminal charges, sanctions, and public advisories to detail actions taken by foreign adversaries to influence the election, including an indictment targeting a covert Russian effort to spread pro-Russia content to U.S. audiences.

TikTok’s announcement came a week after Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, said it banned Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other related entities from its apps, drawing a rebuke from the Kremlin and the two media organizations.

TikTok said on its website that the accounts associated with TV-Novosti and Rossiya Segodnya were already restricted in the United Kingdom and European Union and not allowed to appear on the app’s main “For You” feed.

“There are many people from different countries who value an alternative point of view on events happening in the world. And we’ll find ways to put it out there,” the Rossiya Segodnya press service said in a statement following TikTok’s announcement.

RT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Separately, TikTok is also making some changes around its business.

The company said in a undated notice posted on its website that it was shutting down its music service—TikTok Music—by November 28. The service, which launched just two years ago, was available in five countries, including prominent markets like Brazil and Australia. It was not available in the U.S.

—By Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press business writer

Dasha Litvinova, AP writer, contributed to this story.

<hr class=“wp-block-separator is-style-wide”/> https://www.fastcompany.com/91196830/tiktok-removes-russian-state-media-accounts-covert-influence-operations-us-election?partner=rss&amp;utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&amp;utm_content=rss

Creato 7mo | 24 set 2024, 23:50:07


Accedi per aggiungere un commento

Altri post in questo gruppo

How learning like a gamer helped this high-school dropout succeed

There are so many ways to die. You could fall off a cliff. A monk could light you on fire. A bat the size of a yacht could kick your head in. You’ve only just begun the game, and yet here you are,

29 apr 2025, 12:20:08 | Fast company - tech
Renate Nyborg’s Meeno wants to become the Duolingo of dating

Former Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg launched Meeno less than two years ago with the intention of it being an AI chatbot that help

29 apr 2025, 12:20:07 | Fast company - tech
How Big Tech’s Faustian bargain with Trump backfired

The most indelible image from Donald Trump’s inauguration in January is not the image of the president taking the oath of office without his hand on the Bible. It is not the image of the First Lad

29 apr 2025, 12:20:06 | Fast company - tech
Turns out AI is really bad at picking up on social cues

Ernest Hemingway had an influential theory about fiction that might explain a lot about a p

29 apr 2025, 12:20:04 | Fast company - tech
Signal is the unlikely star of Trump’s first 100 days

The first 100 days of Trump’s second presidential term have included a surprising player that doesn’t seem likely to go away anytime soon: Signal.

The encrypted messaging pl

29 apr 2025, 09:50:13 | Fast company - tech
How federal funding cuts could threaten America’s lead in cancer research

Cancer research in the U.S. doesn’t rely on a single institution or funding stream—it’s a complex ecosystem made up of interdependent parts: academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology start

29 apr 2025, 09:50:11 | Fast company - tech