In response to Russian military operations in Ukraine, Swedish streaming audio platform Spotify has closed its offices in the Vladimir Putin-led nation “indefinitely.”
Variety reports that Spotify has restricted access to media from Russian state-owned outlets, including RT and Sputnik, as well as removed all content from these outlets from its audio platform.
Spotify’s representative said Ukraine was unprovokedly attacked by Russia. We are deeply shocked and saddened by this incident. Since the beginning of the week, our first priority has been to ensure the safety of our employees and make Spotify a reliable source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is gaining increasing importance. Our company is exploring additional steps we can take and will continue to act in the best interest of our employees and our listeners, the spokesperson said.
Additionally, Spotify is supporting local humanitarian efforts in Ukraine amid the Russian attack by matching employee donations by two-to-one.
The Spotify service was launched in Ukraine and Russia in July 2020.
