Putin signs bill targeting international media outlets

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law allowing Russia to register international media outlets as foreign agents.

"According to the text of the law, media that receive financial assistance from foreign states or organizations can be recognized as foreign agents, while the decision on which outlets will be classified as 'foreign agents' will be taken by the Ministry of Justice."

The move is a retaliatory response for a similar measure taken by the U.S. Department of Justice against the state-funded RT television.

Earlier, the U.S.Department of Justice had asked Kremlin-funded TV network to register its American arm as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), reported CNN.

In 1938, the Congress passed the Foreign Agent Registration Act in an effort to curb the amount of German propaganda circulating in the United States.

The amendments signed by Putin had been previously approved by both chambers of the Russian parliament.

According to the reports, the U.S. has accused RT, formerly known as Russia Today, of being a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin.

It was specifically accused of spreading false information during the 2016 presidential election.