What you need to know
- Spotify is closing its office in Russia.
- It will continue to operate its services in the country but said it was deeply shocked and saddened by the attack on Ukraine.
- It will also remove state-sponsored content from its platform.
Spotify announced Wednesday that it was closing its Russia office and removing some state-sponsored content from its platform, in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
From Variety:
Spotify has taken several steps in response to Russia's military attack on Ukraine, including closing its offices in Russia "indefinitely."The company is not disabling access to its service within Russia. "We think it's critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to allow for the global flow of information," a Spotify representative said in a statement provided to Variety.
The company has reportedly "restricted discoverability" of Russian state-sponsored content on its service, and has removed all Russia Today and Sputnik content from its platform. The company said it was "deeply shocked and saddened by the unprovoked attack on Ukraine." It is also providing individual support to colleagues in the region and its global community of Ukrainian employees. Spotify says that it is reviewing thousands of pieces of content to ensure people have access to trusted news, and is further matching employee donations to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
Apple issued similar measures earlier this week in response to Russia's aggression. Apple has stopped selling products in Russia and is pulling state-sponsored media outlets from its App Store. It has also disabled some Apple Maps features in Ukraine. In a statement the company said:
We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.
