Spotify Suspends Streaming Services In Russia Due To Censorship Laws

Spotify has announced that it is suspending its service in Russia due to its censorship laws.

The announcement comes following Spotify’s decision earlier this month to close its office space in Russia indefinitely and confirmed it was no longer selling advertising or subscriptions in the Russian market. However, the streaming service made it clear that they were not going to disable streaming with Russia, allowing the global flow of information to continue. Now, Spotify plans to fully suspend its Russian services by early April due to the country’s breach on information to its citizens. Russia’s new legislation makes it illegal to report any event that could discredit the Russian military, censoring Spotify’s news alerts and podcasts.

“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 in the region,” a Spotify spokesperson stated. “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 possibly even our listeners at risk. After carefully considering our options and the current circumstances, we have come to the difficult decision to fully suspend our service in Russia.”

Spotify now joins Netflix, Hollywood Studios, Disney, Warner Bros, Adidas, Nike, Apple, Exxon Mobil, UPS, FedEx, Nokia, and dozens more global businesses in halting their partnerships and services in Russia, while more artists are continuing to cancel their Russian tour dates.