TikTok app and Russian flagImage source, Getty Images

TikTok has stopped live streaming and new content from being uploaded to its platform in Russia due to the country's fake news laws.

As it assessed the new law, the video-sharing giant wanted to ensure the safety of staff and users.

Anyone who writes fake news about Russia's armed forces will be sentenced to a long jail term.

The news outlets have stopped reporting in Russia because they can no longer be independent.

There are more than 70 million monthly users of TikTok in Russia, but developers there recently launched a rival service.

In light of Russia's new fake news law, we have no choice but to suspend live-streaming and new content to our video service.

The in-app messaging service will not be affected.

We will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when we might fully resume our services with safety as our top priority.

Chinese-owned TikTok, which has one billion users worldwide, has been criticized for not speaking out against Russia invading Ukraine.

The site has been accused of helping to spread misinformation during the conflict.

In a longer statement on its website on Sunday, TikTok said that the war in Ukraine had brought pain to its community and people.

It said it was working to strengthen its safety and security measures and that it recognised the heightened risk and impact of misleading information during a time of crisis.

Russia's parliament approved new laws on Friday to tackle what the Kremlin calls an "information war" against the country.

The Kremlin objects to the conflict being called a war, instead calling it a special military operation. Anyone found to have written about fake news could be jailed for up to 15 years.

The legislation appears to criminalise the process of independent journalism, so the BBC has temporarily suspended its journalists in Russia.

CNN said it would stop broadcasting in the country, and Canada's public broadcaster said it had stopped reporting from Russia.

  • Russia-Ukraine war
  • TikTok
  • Russia
  • Meta
  • Facebook
  • Ukraine