Spotify is pulling out of Russia due to the country’s new laws on what media companies can broadcast or post online.
Published material deemed to be “fake news” about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to lengthy prison sentences under the new rules.
In a statement sent to media outlets, Spotify said the rules “further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalising 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 is best-known as a music streaming platform, but has aggressively moved into podcasting as part of its business model, with its library including a great many news and current affairs shows.
The company closed its Russia office earlier in March, and has not been able to sell its premium subscriptions in the country because of restrictions put in place by payment providers amid international sanctions.
This makes Spotify the latest in a long list of major international company to pull out of Russia – including McDonald’s, Starbucks, Apple, Samsung, and many more.
Learn more about which companies are pulling out of Russia here.
