Another app added in the list of companies banning their services in Russia. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, video-sharing site TikTok and streaming giant Netflix have curtailed and halted their services in Russia, respectively.
TikTok said it has halted live broadcasting and the creation of new material on its site. As it considers new legislation aimed at combating “false news” regarding Russia’s armed services.
Netflix announced its withdrawal in response to the invasion. Visa, Mastercard, and PwC are among the western companies that have discontinued relationships.
Tiktok Halts Services
TikTok, which has 36 million users in Russia, said the action took place to protect its employees and users. Since Friday, anyone who publishes news about the military that is judged untrue might face up to 15 years in prison.
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to halt live-streaming and new content to our video service while we assess the safety implications of this law,” TikTok said in a series of Tweets.
TikTok, a Chinese-owned app with one billion users globally, has been chastised for failing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unlike Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter.
However, in a lengthy statement posted on its website on Sunday, it called the conflict in Ukraine “devastating”. Saying it had “caused anguish to our society and our people.”
Around 36 million users use the app. And TikTok’s new rules reduce them to mere observers of other people’s material.
TikTok claims the move is necessary to safeguard its users from violating Russia’s new “fake news” regulations. However, it will undoubtedly benefit the corporation as well.
It’s difficult enough to moderate social media during a crisis. But having to evaluate information under Russia’s new draconian rules puts all platforms in a difficult position. I wouldn’t be a shocking news if other apps adopted similar security procedures. Because many high-profile creators in Russia rely on TikTok for a job, we may expect even more people to join the protests against the “fake news” regulations.
