In early March, Russia's parliament enacted a law criminalising the sharing of what the government considers 'false information' about Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. Spotify said it had no choice but to pull out of the Russian market, citing legislation that essentially bans independent journalism.Ī Spotify spokesperson has said, “Spotify has continued to believe that it is critically important to try and keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information in the region.”

Swedish music streaming giant Spotify is suspending its services in Russia after Moscow passed a new law earlier this month restricting freedom of the press and speech.