Spotify is a service that people use globally no matter where you go, however, Russia may become one of the few places that do not get Spotify, and users there will have to live with that as Spotify is concrete on its decision of moving out of Russia.
Russia recently implemented a new law that will cause imprisonment up to 15 years for spreading fake news about the Russian military and that is the main cause for Spotify to be moving out of the country.
Why Did Spotify do this?
Spotify is worried that the new laws in Russia that restrict the flow of information further and criminalize certain types of information may cause their listeners and staff harm if they continue further.
Spotify has taken this decision in lieu of the safety of its staff and the general well-being of its listeners but more importantly, the decision is taken due to lack of free speech and that is what is really bothersome for Spotify.
⚡️Spotify halts streaming service in Russia.
New legislation in Russia making it illegal to report anything that discredits the Russian military prompted the decision.
Earlier this month the Swedish audio streaming platform shut down its Russia office over its war in Ukraine.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 26, 2022
Russia has been known to curtail free speech from time to time but during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, Russia has been seriously curtailing free speech, and going against the government rules in Russia can have devastating effects for people there.
The Effect of Spotify’s Suspension
Spotify’s suspension may not have a lot of effect on people but it goes to show that the general public in Russia is not even allowed to know the truth about what has been happening in Ukraine and that goes to show how scary the situation is in Russia.
The suspension of services will also ensure that the Putin-led government will not try and impose any crackdowns on innocent civilians or Spotify employees. The safety of people who voice their opinions against the government is seriously in trouble in Russia.
The situation is so bad that spokespersons in Russia for Spotify have kept their identity anonymous and that goes to show that the people are seriously scared of the government and the way they are treating the civilians that speak up.
Spotify’s Statement
An employee from Spotify who wishes to remain anonymous for his own safety has given a statement on behalf of Spotify and you can read the same below.
“Spotify has continued to believe that it’s critically important to try and keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information in the region. 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.” The company expects for service to be fully suspended by early April, the spokesperson said.
We genuinely hope that the situation in Russia and Ukraine improves and no one has to live with fear in their lives.
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