Twitter Bans Russian RT, Sputnik Ads
Twitter will bans ads from Russian RT and Sputnik news agencies effective immediately, based on internal research and a January report from intelligence agencies confirming the Russian firms attempted to interfere with the U.S. 2016 election, the company blogged Thursday.…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, demanded Twitter provide information on how she was targeted. “While I have never publicly discussed it before today, I have been aware for some time that I was targeted by Russian operatives whose interests were aligned with Donald Trump," Waters said. Twitter said the advertising ban wasn't a decision it came to "lightly" but is part of the company's ongoing commitment to protect users. The company said it will donate the $1.9 million it earned from RT ads purchased beginning in 2011 to do additional research on use of its service in civic engagement. House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff of California said the decision "should prevent" Russian agencies from spreading disinformation and undermining democracies.