Music streaming giant Spotify is set to suspend its service in Russia following the new media law in the country. Spotify, had earlier this month, closed its office in Russia after President Vladimir Putin’s “unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” which started on February 24.
Spotify is likely to end its service by early April. Netflix, the popular subscription-based video streaming service provider, had also suspended its service in March.
According to the new media law in Russia, it makes it “illegal to report any event that could discredit the Russian military,” Reuters news agency reports.
“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. Unfortunately, recently enacted legislation further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalising certain types of news puts the safety of Spotify’s employees and the possibility of even our listeners at risk,” Spotify said in a statement.
Other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are already banned in Russia for various reasons since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
