Spotify’s services in Russia will come to an end on April 11, the streaming service said on Thursday.
The company had shuttered its Russian offices in early March, restricting the discoverability of shows operated by Russian state-affiliated media and removing all content by RT and Sputnik from its platforms.
However, it kept its services available citing the importance of “the global flow of information." But after the enactment of a broad “fake news” law, which threatened jail terms for spreading "false information" about Russian forces, Spotify announced its decision of a complete suspension on March 25.
“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,” it said, NBC News reports.
