Spotify removes content from Kremlin-backed RT and Sputnik and closes Russia office

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Variety reports that the office of the streaming service in Russia has been closed. It also restricts discoverability of content from other outlets affiliated with the Russian government. The content of Sputnik andRT has been removed from several markets, but not in Russia. Since the start of the war, it has reviewed thousands of pieces of content.

The Russian law that requires foreign social media companies with over 500,000 daily users to have a local office in the country will no longer apply to the company after it closes its Russian office. Failure to comply means that these services can be banned in the country.

The music streaming service entered Russia in July of 2020 and will continue to do so for now.

Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to make sure that we continue to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever.

Russia's state-backed media outlets are being restricted by efforts such as the removal of Sputnik by the streaming service. The European Union has ordered their removal from the bloc, and tech platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok have complied by blocking their accounts in their respective app stores.

The ban is a notable move from the service, which has historically taken a lighter-touch approach to moderation. It faced tough questions and protests for exclusively hosting Joe Rogan's show in a deal reportedly worth $200 million. The host of a popular show has been criticized for promoting misinformation and using racist language. Daniel Ek, the company's CEO, said it was Rogan who removed the episodes from the platform.