New Delhi: Popular video app TikTok has limited its services and suspended its live streaming in Russia in the wake of the country's new fake news law. Russia's tough new fake news laws have threatened jail terms of up to 15 years for spreading "fake news". According to China's TikTok, its move comes to ensure the safety of its staff and users.
"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 while we review the safety implications of this law. Our in-app messaging service will not be affected," the company said in a tweet.
The company added: "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."
China's ByteDance-owned TikTok has almost one billion users globally and has been criticised for not speaking out against Russia's war on Ukraine unlike other tech giants such as Facebook parent Meta, Twitter, Google and others.
Meanwhile, video streaming giant Netflix has also limited and cut its services in Russia following its attacks on Ukraine.
Earlier last week, Russia cut access to the BBC website and Facebook as President Vladimir Putin presses media crackdown and prevents the public from viewing Western media. According to Russia's communications watchdog, it has restricted the websites of the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Deutsche Welle and other media outlets.x
Meanwhile, the EU has already banned Russian state-controlled media outlets such as RT and Russian news agency Sputnik. Tech giants such as Facebook parent Meta, Google, YouTube, TikTok and Tripadvisor are also blocking access to RT and Sputnik in the EU.