Spotify Says “Nyet!” To Russia In Response To New Media Law, Suspends Streaming Service

Bruce Haring
·1 min read

A new Russian law that makes it illegal to discredit the Russian military will cause Spotify to suspend its streaming service.

Spotify Technology SA said today that it’s getting out of Russia, citing the new law. Earlier this month, the company closed its office indefinitely in response to what it termed Russia’s “unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”

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“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 from the region,” Spotify said in a statement. “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 the possibility of even our listeners at risk.”

The service is expected to end in early April, according to one person with knowledge of the situation. How the service will handle refunds to its customers was not detailed.

When it closed its office, Spotify cited employee safety and its role as a news provider.”to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever.”

Spotify at that time also claimed it has reviewed its content and restricted the discoverability of shows owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media. It also removed all content from state media RT and Sputnik from Spotify in the European Union, the United States. and other markets around the world.

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