EU Parliament Mulls Restricting Access to Russian Media
(MENAFN) The European Parliament is weighing a ban on access to Russian news outlets, including RT and Sputnik, through its IT systems, Politico reported.
Although the EU imposed sanctions on numerous Russian media outlets following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, websites hosting RT and Sputnik content remain accessible within the legislature, according to Latvian MEP Rihards Kols, media reported on Wednesday.
In mid-October, Kols, a member of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group, called for “Russian propaganda websites under EU sanctions” to be blocked at the Parliament, citing a need for “information security.”
“This is a matter of information security, institutional coherence, and the credibility of the Parliament’s position against Russian disinformation,” Kols told media.
He added that the Latvian media regulator has directly contacted European Parliament President Roberta Metsola regarding the issue. “A solution is expected to be proposed in the near future,” he said.
However, media noted that leaders from several political groups expressed concern that restricting Russian media could set a precedent for blocking other sites “for reasons other than security.” They also highlighted potential technical and legal hurdles in enforcing such a ban.
If enacted, the measure would mirror a previous restriction on Chinese-owned TikTok, which the European Parliament blocked in March 2023 over network security concerns, media reported.
The EU lawmaking body’s press service confirmed that limitations on Russian media will be discussed at upcoming meetings of group leaders.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously stated that RT has faced over 110 separate sanctions, had its accounts frozen, and its staff subjected to surveillance and harassment in the West.
Earlier this month, during the network’s 20th anniversary celebrations, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said the outlet continues broadcasting despite the “ridiculous” campaign in the US and EU to take it off the air and block its accounts online. She described the sanctions as “minor inconveniences,” adding that RT is “only getting stronger and feels more emboldened” as a result.
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