Netflix suspends streaming service in Russia amid Ukraine war
Netflix has pulled its streaming service in Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
The American streaming giant said that “given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia”.
Last week the company announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from the country.
Netflix’s operations in Russia are still small and there are no offices or employees in the territory.
It currently has around one million subscribers there and has been operating in the country for just over a year.
There is a law in the country – known locally as the Vitrina TV law – which makes it obligatory for services to distribute 20 “must carry” television channels.
The free-to-air channels, which include news, sports and entertainment, are reportedly aligned with Russian authorities.
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However, prior to the streaming service suspending its broadcast, a spokesman for Netflix said there were “no plans to add these channels to our service”.
TikTok users will not be able to upload new content
Around 1.6 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations.
There have been repeated attacks on civilians trying to flee using humanitarian corridors.
A large number of high-profile companies have distanced themselves from Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
TikTok users will not be able to upload new content, after the Chinese social networking service said it was concerned about a new “fake news” law in Russia.
“We have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service in Russia while we review the safety implications of this law,” it said in a statement.
Its in-app messaging service will not be affected.
The Kremlin has introduced a law which means that people who spread “fake” information about Russia’s armed forces could be jailed for up to 15 years.
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American Express, Visa and Mastercard have announced they are taking similar action, as is accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers.
PayPal has closed down its services, with chief executive Dan Schulman saying the company “stands with the international community in condemning Russia’s violent military aggression”.
Puma and IKEA have closed stores, Apple and Microsoft have halted product sales, and Hollywood studios have postponed the release of new movies.
Article source: https://news.sky.com/story/netflix-suspends-streaming-service-in-russia-amid-ukraine-war-12559918