TikTok takes down accounts tied to Russian media for "covert influence ops" during U.S. presidential race

This was reported by the Hill.

TikTok stated the accounts were removed for violating its community guidelines by attempting to influence foreign audiences.

According to reports, Russian state media outlets RT (formerly Russia Today) and Sputnik were fully blocked from the platform.

Previously, these accounts were restricted within the European Union and the UK, but now their content has disappeared entirely from the For You pages in other regions as well.

TikTok says it will release more details on the account removals in its upcoming September whistleblower report.

In August, the platform announced the removal of five networks for their role in "covert influence operations."

TikTok says it's working to shield its 170 million US users from emerging threats in the lead-up to the election.

“We do this by enforcing robust policies aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation, elevating reliable election information, and collaborating with internal and external experts who help us evaluate and improve our approach on an ongoing basis,” the company explained.

• Earlier, on August 5, the European Commission ordered TikTok to permanently end its TikTok Lite Rewards program in the EU.