EU parliament could block Russian media – Politico

The European Parliament is considering banning MEPs and staff from accessing RT, Sputnik, and other Russian news outlets through its IT infrastructure, Politico has reported.

The EU banned numerous Russian media outlets as part of sanctions imposed on Moscow after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Despite the censorship, Russian outlets’ websites as well as multiple sites hosting RT and Sputnik content can still be viewed at the European Parliament, according to Latvian MEP Rihards Kols, Politico reported on Wednesday.

In mid-October, Kols, part of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group, reportedly demanded that “Russian propaganda websites under EU sanctions” be made inaccessible at the legislature as a matter of “information security.”

The Latvian MEP told Politico that “this is a matter of information security, institutional coherence, and the credibility of the Parliament’s position against Russian disinformation.”

According to Kols, the Latvian media regulator has directly addressed European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on the issue. “A solution is expected to be proposed in the near future,” he added.

Politico noted that the leaders of several political groups at the legislature expressed have concerns that the curbs on Russian media could set a precedent for other websites being blocked “for reasons other than security.” They also warned about technical and legal challenges when enforcing the restrictions, it added.

If approved, the ban would be similar to the one that the European Parliament imposed on Chinese-owned TikTok over network security concerns in March 2023, according to the outlet.

The EU lawmaking body’s press service confirmed that curbs on Russian media will be discussed at upcoming meetings of group leaders.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously said that RT has been hit with over 110 separate sanctions, had its accounts frozen, and has seen its employees subjected to surveillance and harassment in the West.

During the celebrations of the outlet’s 20th anniversary earlier this month, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said that it continues to broadcast despite the “ridiculous” campaign in the US and EU to take the channel off the air and block its accounts online. Simonyan called the sanctions “minor inconveniences,” saying that RT is “only getting stronger and feels more emboldened” as a result.