TikTok purges accounts tied to Russian media over ‘covert influence’ efforts ahead of US election

Sep 26, 2024 - 17:18

ikTok has faced questions over whether the Chinese government can manipulate its algorithm to influence the American public. Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Getty Images

TikTok has removed accounts associated with two Russian media groups for trying to exercise what it called “covert influence” on the upcoming US presidential election, in violation of its guidelines.

The accounts are linked to Rossiya Segodnya and TV-Novosti, the organizations behind the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster respectively, the social media platform said on its website Monday, labeling the groups “state-affiliated.”

The move mirrors an announcement by Meta (META) last week that it had banned Rossiya Segodnya, RT and “other related entities” from its apps globally for “foreign interference activity.”

Rossiya Segodnya and RT did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment on the TikTok measure.

Earlier this month, the US Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a US company, identified by CNN as Tenet Media, to create and amplify content that aligned with Russian state interests. The covert influence campaign was aimed at the American public ahead of the presidential election, US officials said.

Tenet Media boasts a slate of high-profile right-wing, pro-Trump commentators, including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Benny Johnson and several others. All of them released statements saying they were victims of the alleged Russian scheme.

After the Justice Department announcement, RT responded with mocking statements that did not address the specifics of the US allegations.

TikTok, for its part, has itself faced questions over whether or not the Chinese government can manipulate its algorithm to influence the American public. The platform, which 170 million Americans use to watch videos about sports, fashion and politics, is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.

In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok in the United States unless the app finds a new owner, which the company has since challenged in court.

Source: CNN