TikTok restricts service in Russia and Netflix stops streaming

theguardian.com:

TikTok has imposed restrictions on its service in Russia, and Netflix has suspended streaming there entirely, as western companies continue to pull out of the country.

Chinese-owned TikTok said it would block livestreaming and uploading of new content in Russia after the Kremlin criminalised the spreading of what it deems to be fake news about its invasion of Ukraine. Netflix did not specify a reason for suspending its services on Sunday, saying the move reflected “circumstances on the ground”. The company had previously said it would refuse to air Russian state TV channels.

TikTok said on Twitter it was a source of “relief and human connection during a time of war” but the safety of the video platform’s users and employees was its highest priority. The BBC, CNN and other global media outlets have temporarily suspended reporting in Russia to protect their journalists.

TikTok’s popularity with under-25s has extended to its Russia-Ukraine content, with content from UK-based TikTokers alone gathering millions of views, although the platform has also had to grapple with fake and misleading content. Social media companies have also clashed with the Kremlin, with Facebook and Twitter suspended in Russia in retaliation for blocking the state-backed news services Russia Today and Sputnik in the EU.

Meanwhile, US credit card companies Visa, Mastercard and American Express said over the weekend they would cut services in Russia, although it will not stop domestic