Facebook Defends Banning Russian Page With the Need to Provide Transparent Information

Facebook has banned multiple pages run by Maffick Media – a private German-based corporation mostly owned by Ruptly, a subsidiary of the state-run RT network – for failing to disclose its affiliations with the Russian government.

Facebook says it's working on providing users with transparent information about entities which manage popular pages.

"Since this feature is not yet available to everyone, we ask page administrators to disclose additional information about their parent companies, so they can return to the platform," said the tech giant about the ban.

RT’s Editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan says Maffick Media projects do not violate any rules and claims the page blocks are connected with a CNN report that the popular "In the Now" page is funded by Russia.

RT, formally known as Russia Today, has been accused of spreading pro-Moscow propaganda, claims which the Kremlin has denied.

In May 2018, three new state investigations into the Russian Today channel began in the U.K.

This comes at the same time Facebook is negotiating with the U.S. government on a multi-billion settlement to close investigations into illegal activities related to its business practices.