TikTok has stopped live- streaming and content sharing in Russia in response to the country's fake news law, a policy passed Friday that threatens imprisonment for sharing what authorities there consider to be false information.
In a post on its website on Sunday, the social platform said that it had no choice but to make the announcement because it viewed itself as a source of relief and human connection during a time of war.
In light of Russia's new fake news law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content in Russia.
TikTok said it does not know when it will resume video sharing in Russia, but that it will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when it will resume its services with safety as its top priority.
The decision comes after several media organizations, including CNN, stopped service in Russia in response to the free press being stifled. According to The Committee to Protect Journalists, reporters could face up to 15 years for sharing content that refers to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "war" or for sharing articles that authorities consider to be false.
Prior to suspending services in Russia, TikTok announced that it had dedicated significant resources to develop and enforce new protective measures designed to better fight against misinformation.
We remain focused on preventing, detecting, and deterring influence operations on our platform and our systems help us identify, block, and remove inauthentic accounts, engagement, or other associated activities on TikTok.
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