Two of the biggest names in streaming entertainment and social media added their names to the sizable list of businesses cutting off access to Russia in response to the government’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine last month. Over the weekend, both Netflix and TikTok announced their respective blackouts in the country, citing the nation’s new requirement to support state-run media channels and the censorship of so called “fake news.”
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to CNBC yesterday, while TikTok published an update via its official newsroom page not long afterwards informing users that it would be cutting off both livestreaming and new content to Russian users for an indefinite period of time “while [they] review the safety implications” of the new “fake news” laws.
