The RT-based program boasted over 160,000 followers on the platform.
X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, has suspended the account of Going Underground, an independent UAE-based TV program airing on RT that focuses on geopolitics and current affairs. A notice sent to RT on Tuesday attributed the suspension to a human moderator’s review, citing violations of platform rules.
“ has been suspended for violating X rules… specifically our rules against inauthentic behavior. You may not use our services to engage in inauthentic behavior that undermines the integrity of X,” the notice stated, lacking further detail.
According to Going Underground, the suspension followed a complaint about a repost of a year-old RT report on Gaza. The report highlighted Gaza’s oil and gas reserves, suggesting this as a key reason for President Trump’s recent interest in controlling Gaza.
In a separate notice to Going Underground, X indicated it would withhold the reported content within the EU, citing “Scope of Platform Service” under the EU Digital Services Act. RT broadcasts have been officially banned in the EU since 2022.
Going Underground’s long-time host, Afshin Rattansi, criticized X’s action on his personal account, urging platform executives, including Musk, to intervene.
“X has suspended the account of with over 160,000 followers after over a decade of posting breaking news and our interviews with world leaders, dissidents, cultural icons and many more,” Rattansi wrote.
“Please rectify this. X was supposed to be the platform against censorship,” he added, encouraging others to share his plea.
Earlier that day, an X account belonging to RT’s India branch was suspended for allegedly falsely representing RT—a claim the channel rejected as patently unfair.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and subsequent Western sanctions against Moscow, RT has faced mounting pressure from the West. Many of its international branches have been shut down, and its online presence has been significantly impacted after platforms like YouTube and TikTok removed or blocked its accounts. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, banned RT and other Russian state-linked media globally last year, following US sanctions against the channel, its Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, and several senior executives. Washington has labeled the channel a tool of Russian government propaganda, a claim RT consistently denies.