Spotify has stopped streaming in Russia due to security concerns.
Written byTimes Magazine
Spotify pulled out of Russia, citing a new law that threatens prison terms for spreading "fake news" about the country's armed forces.
The music streaming company raised concerns about team member safety and "perhaps even our listeners," which completely shut down its free service.
Spotify closed its offices in Russia in early March.
But he said he wanted to keep his job of providing "independent news" to the country.
"Spotify continues to believe that it is essential to maintain our service in Russia to provide reliable and independent news and information from the region," Spotify said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, recently passed laws that further restrict access to information, prohibit freedom of expression and criminalize certain types of news, but the safety of Spotify employees and even the capabilities of our listeners are at risk.
More also more companies are withdrawing from Russia
After the law was passed, media outlets that announced plans to end coverage of the country earlier this month included Bloomberg, the New York Times.
The stopped reporting in Russia, although it has since resumed. Access to the website is restricted in Russia, and the Kremlin published World News earlier this month.
Spotify, launched in Russia in 2020, is best known as a music streaming platform. But he's aggressively moving into podcasting as part of his business model, with his library including plenty of news shows and current affairs.
After the war in Ukraine, he could not sell his premium subscriptions in the country due to restrictions imposed by payment providers as part of international sanctions.
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