The Biden administration has taken a bold step in announcing sanctions targeting Russian government-backed efforts to manipulate American opinion leading up to the 2024 election. Among the alleged efforts, RT, the English-language media network backed by Russia, has been singled out for its role in influencing U.S. opinion.
According to the Department of Justice, senior editors at RT were targeted in the actions, with two RT employees indicted in Manhattan federal court for allegedly covertly funding and directing an American company that published thousands of videos to further Russian interests. The accused, Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, remain at large and are accused of deploying nearly $10 million to publish RT-curated content through a Tennessee company.
The DOJ has seized 32 Internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns, with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections, including the upcoming U.S. 2024 Presidential Election.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the importance of the American people being aware of foreign powers attempting to exploit the country’s free exchange of ideas for their propaganda.
In response, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the designation of 10 individuals and two entities for their involvement in Moscow’s malign influence efforts targeting the American elections. This included RT’s editor-in-chief Margarite Simonova Simonyan.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined actions to counter Russia’s state-backed covert influence operations, including visa restrictions on RT’s parent company Rossiya Segodnya. These entities were deemed to be effectively controlled by the Russian government, according to the State Department.
This recent development comes after U.S. intelligence officials suggested that Russia was attempting to undermine President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, ultimately leading to Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how these sanctions will impact both the industry and consumers. The implications could range from reshaping media influence to affecting international relations. Only time will tell the full extent of the repercussions of these actions.
