By Sheila Dang
– Russian state-controlled news network RT said on Thursday it will begin broadcasting on Rumble, a YouTube-like video site, after tech companies including Meta Platforms and Twitter have restricted access to RT following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tech companies in recent days have moved to restrict Russian state-controlled media including RT and Sputnik in response to requests from governments and calls to prevent the spread of Russia propaganda. Russia has called its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”
Streaming media company Roku has removed the app for RT from its Roku Channel Store globally, a spokesperson said.
Facebook owner Meta said on Tuesday it was globally demoting content from Russian state-controlled media outlets’ Facebook pages and Instagram accounts.
Rumble is a video site popular among U.S. political conservatives. In December former U.S. President Donald Trump’s media venture, Trump Media and Technology Group, said Rumble will deliver video and streaming for Truth Social, the venture’s social media app that launched in the Apple App Store on Jan. 21.
(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas; Additional reporting by Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Lisa Shumaker)
