On Wednesday, Spotify announced that it was closing its office in Russia indefinitely in response to what the audio streaming platform described as "Moscow's unprovoked attack on Ukraine.".
See also: Apple stops selling its products in Russia
As of July 2021, Russian legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin requires foreign social media with more than 500,000 daily users to open local offices or face severe restrictions.
Before the March deadline, only a few companies, including Spotify, had complied.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week, which Moscow calls a "special operation," Western governments have been urging companies to push back against Putin in any way possible.
See also: Anonymous group launches "cyberwar" against Russia
"Our top priority last week was the safety of our employees and ensuring that Spotify continues to serve as a significant source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever," Spotify said in a statement.
Spotify said it has reviewed thousands of pieces of content since the start of the war and has limited the ability to track broadcasts owned and operated by media outlets linked to the Russian state.
Earlier this week, Spotify also removed all content from state-run media outlets RT and Sputnik in the European Union, the United States and other markets around the world, except for Russia, following in the footsteps of Facebook (Meta) and Twitter.
On Wednesday, Sputnik reported via email that "any restrictions on members of the press are blatant censorship and the dirtiest example of a violation of freedom of speech.".
See also: Increased attacks on Ukrainian sites after Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Spotify said it will also support local humanitarian efforts by making donations.
Source of information: reuters.com
