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Spotify shuts down its office in Russia 'indefinitely'

The platform is taking a number of other steps in response to the war in Ukraine.

The Spotify logo on a yellow background

Spotify is shutting down its office in Russia.

Image: Spotify

Companies continue to pull out of Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine. The ranks now include Spotify, which said it was shutting down its office in Russia "indefinitely," according to Variety.

The company also took down all content from Russian state news agencies Sputnik and RT. Spotify is still allowing access to the platform in Russia, a spokesperson told Variety. “We think it’s critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to allow for the global flow of information,” the representative said.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” the Spotify spokesperson added. “Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and 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 restricted the discoverability of Russian state-affiliated content, in addition to removing content from RT and Sputnik. The platform has also created a guide for users to seek localized "trusted news" in an effort to combat misinformation and is matching employee donations to aid humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

The company is among a growing number of platforms that have announced restrictions on Russian state-affiliated outlets. Meta, Alphabet and TikTok have all prohibited access to Russian outlets RT and Sputnik in the EU following accusations of spreading propaganda.

Several platforms have also cut off Russian state-run media from running ads or monetizing content in other ways. Russia, in response, has taken steps to push back against these rules, throttling Twitter in the country and accusing streaming services of being "instigators of war against Russia."

 Sarah Roach

Sarah Roach is a news writer at Protocol (@sarahroach_) and contributes to Source Code. She is a recent graduate of George Washington University, where she studied journalism and mass communication and criminal justice. She previously worked for two years as editor in chief of her school's independent newspaper, The GW Hatchet.

russia-ukraine war russian state media spotify
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