The TikTok social network blocked the accounts of Kremlin-controlled Russian state media because of their involvement in covert influence operations.
Points of attention
- TikTok has taken a stand against Kremlin propaganda by blocking the accounts of Russian media controlled by the Kremlin to prevent the spread of misinformation before the US presidential election.
- Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has also banned Kremlin propaganda media due to their attempts at external influence, following the US indictment of two RT employees for similar activities.
- Russia is actively utilizing artificial intelligence to generate content that promotes Trump and discredits Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, posing a significant threat to the democratic process.
- The use of generative AI by Russia showcases their advanced capabilities in influencing elections, highlighting the importance of combating misinformation and covert influence operations on social media platforms.
- Despite efforts by TikTok and other networks to block Kremlin propaganda, Russia's expertise in AI-driven content creation raises concerns about the potential impact on democratic processes in the US and other countries.
What is known about the blocking of Russian propaganda on TikTok
It is noted that the decision is part of the social network's efforts to prevent the spread of misinformation ahead of the US presidential election.
It is known that the social network deleted the accounts of the Rossiya Segodnya media group, which manages the RIA Novosti and Sputnik news agencies, as well as TV-Novosti, whose daughter is the RT channel.
The TikTok administration notes that the accounts of Kremlin-controlled media have been blocked in Great Britain and the EU, and their content has been flagged as state-controlled around the world.
However, it is now believed that they have been banned forever.
What is known about the blocking of Kremlin propaganda in other networks
Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, also banned Russia Today, RT and other Kremlin propaganda media over attempts at foreign influence.
The bans come after the US indicted two RT employees this month for allegedly trying to hire the US company to produce online content to influence the election.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the Kremlin is trying to create as much artificial content as possible with the help of AI to influence the US presidential election.
At the same time, the aggressor country is ahead in its efforts of all other countries that are trying to resort to similar attempts.
According to a representative of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), who wished to remain anonymous, Russia is actively using artificial intelligence to promote Trump and discredit Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, including through conspiracy theories.
Generative AI, the official explained, creates content — text, images and video — that looks human-made, based on learning from previous data.
According to an ODNI representative, Russia uses AI content to influence elections more than other countries, although the exact amount of such content is not known. She also has more experience and a better understanding of how US elections work and what targets to choose for influence.
