WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project slammed Meta for failing to label Russian and Chinese state propaganda that’s running rampant on its new platform Threads. According to the Wall Street Journal’s reporting, state-backed propagandists are not labeled, and a Meta spokeswoman refused to comment on doctored Russian videos about President Biden. Propaganda outlets that are not labeled on the platform include Russia’s RT and Sputnik News, China’s CGTN and Xinhua News, and Fars News—run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
“Once upon a time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress that his platforms would fight disinformation and help protect democracy. Not only did Zuckerberg lie directly to Congress, after gutting their safety and election integrity teams, Meta’s business model and predatory practices are directly undermining U.S. national security interests,” said Kyle Morse, Deputy Executive Director of the Tech Oversight Project. “Meta’s platforms, between Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, are the largest megaphones in the history of humankind, and the company has a responsibility to mitigate disinformation and harms from bad actors. They have walked away from their responsibility to protect users and have proven that large multinational social media platforms will always put financial interests ahead of American interests.”