The music service Spotify also joins today (Monday) to put pressure on Russia following the state invasion of Ukraine, announcing that the paid subscriber service will no longer be available in the attacking country.
This follows the closure of its branch in Moscow earlier this month, pending a new announcement.
The decision is directly related to the impairment of the ability to process subscription payments for service in Russia, in light of restrictions and sanctions imposed by various payment providers on the country.
"Given the restrictions imposed by major payment providers, it will not be possible to receive payment from most premium users in Russia," a Spotify spokesman told AFP.
He added that if the payment problem persists, the premium subscribers of those who choose to pay for a service without advertisements on the streaming platform, will automatically become free regular subscribers.
Alongside this, the company has announced the cessation of all its advertising campaigns in Russia.
Regarding its decision not to completely block its service to Russian users, the company said it believes "it is critical to try to continue our operations in Russia, in order to allow the global flow of information to continue to it."
In doing so, the popular music provider joins a host of Western companies that have announced the imposition of sanctions on Russia, in light of the war it has declared, including Apple, which has announced the cessation of all sales of its products in the country.
Alongside this many musicians condemned the attack on Ukraine, and the Green Day band announced the cancellation of their planned visit to Moscow.
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