Music streaming giant Spotify halts service in Russia. It has announced its exit from Russia, citing a new rule that threatens jail time for propagating “false news” about the country’s military.
The music streaming service said it decided to suspend its free service. Due to fears about the safety of its employees and “perhaps even our fans.”
In March, Spotify closed its office in Russia. The Russian Parliament passed a law making it illegal to share “false information” about Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. As a result, a number of news organizations, including The New York Times and CNN, have withdrawn their journalists from Russia. Or halted broadcasts from the nation.
“Spotify has continued to believe that it’s critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information from the region,” Spotify stated.
The publication of material deemed to be “fake news”. This concerning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could result in severe prison sentences under new laws governing what media organizations can broadcast or post online. Following its launch, TikTok also disabled live streaming and fresh material on its platform.
News Organizations Stop Reporting In Russia
Following the bill’s passing, Bloomberg, the New York Times, and CNN were among the news organizations that declared plans to stop reporting from the country earlier this month.
The BBC temporarily halted reporting in Russia but has now resumed. In Russia, access to BBC websites has been restricted. And earlier this month the Kremlin took off the BBC World News.
Spotify is well known for its music streaming network, which began in Russia in 2020. However, as part of its economic strategy, it has aggressively gone into podcasting, with a large library of news and current affairs broadcasts.
It has been unable to sell its premium memberships in Ukraine since the conflict began. This is due to payment provider restrictions imposed as a result of international sanctions.
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