Russia-Ukraine war: Spotify suspends streaming service in Russia over new media law

The ongoing aggression between Russia and Ukraine has escalated over the months with the Russian troops showing no signs of relenting in their pursuit to invade Kyiv. Ever since the onset of the war, hundreds of innocent civilians have reportedly lost their lives while millions were forced to flee from their homes and seek shelter in neighbouring countries. Taking into account the atrocities of Russia since its President Vladimir Putin declared a special military operation on February 24 in Eastern Ukraine, several big enterprises have bowed out of the country in protest of the regiment. 

Swedish audio streaming and media service platform Spotify extended their support to the war-struck country by shutting down their Russian offices indefinitely. They continued providing services in a bid to share reliable information with the people. However, the new media law has posed a threat to the streaming platform and its employees which has compelled them to suspend their streaming services.

Spotify suspends service in Russia amid Ukraine invasion

As per a report from Deadline, Spotify issued a statement to announce that it has decided to suspend services in Russia in response to the new media law. Addressing their previous decision to continue their service in Russia, Spotify wrote in the statement, ''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.'

However, the platform reasoned that the new media law firm can potentially jeopardize its employees' lives as well as its listeners. They further wrote, ''Unfortunately, recently enacted legislation further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalizing certain types of news puts the safety of Spotify’s employees and the possibility of even our listeners at risk.”

As per the outlet, a person with knowledge of the development believes that the services will be suspended by early April. Meanwhile, it has not been revealed how Spotify plans to refund the users post the suspension of their service. 

Image: Pixabay/AP

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