Netflix, TikTok suspend services in Russia amid Ukraine invasion

Agencies | Moscow

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Netflix and TikTok announced they were suspending their services in Russia, joining the long line of major entertainment companies and Hollywood studios that have closed operations in the country amid the Ukraine invasion. Netflix joined western companies in suspending services in Russia due to the “circumstances on the ground”, a company spokesperson said.

TikTok said Russian users of its popular social media app would no longer be able to post new videos or live streams and they also wouldn’t be able to see videos shared from elsewhere in the world. 

“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a Netflix spokesperson said as quoted by Variety on Sunday. 

Back in December, Russia’s Roskomnadzor included Netflix in the register of audiovisual services after the subscriber base for the company exceeded 100,000.

According to Sputnik, the Russian legislation on information requires platforms with a daily attendance of more than 100,000 Internet users to be included in the register and obliges the services to initiate free-to-air broadcasting of 20 Russian federal TV channels.

However, Netflix said that it was not going to comply with the Roskomnadzor requirement.
Even after suspending operations, the company did not specify what would happen to exist subscriber accounts or when it would reevaluate the matter.