Meta to demote content from Russian state-controlled media globally

Meta will demote posts from Russian state-controlled media accounts or linking to the outlets across Facebook and Instagram globally, executives said Tuesday. 

The tech giant will make content from the pages “harder to find” across its platforms in response to growing calls from global leaders to limit access to the Russian state-controlled outlets as the nation pushes forward with its invasion of Ukraine. 

The platforms will also begin to “label these links” and “provide more information to people before they share them or click on them to let them know that they lead to state-controlled media websites,” Meta  Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg told reporters. 

The update comes one day after Facebook said it would restrict access to Russian state-controlled media in the European Union (EU). 

Clegg said the company has received requests from countries outside of the EU to restrict access to Russian state-controlled media but did not name them. He said he was not aware of a request from the U.S. to block the outlets on Facebook. 

Clegg said Facebook’s priority has been to allow people to continue using their apps and services safely and securely. 

“It has been humbling to witness ordinary Ukrainians and Russians using our platforms to shine a light on what’s happening,” he said. 

“We’ve also seen how powerful a tool social media has been for [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky] to speak directly to people around the world, including appealing to Russian people in their own language in an effort to stop the war,” Clegg added.