NEW YORK (AFP) In order to safeguard its employees and comply with Russia’s new “fake news” legislation, TikTok, a prominent social media site, has announced that it would stop publishing any video content from the nation.
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to cease livestreaming and new material to our video service,” the company said in a Twitter message, adding that its in-app chat service will be unaffected.
“With safety as our first priority, we’ll continue to monitor the situation in Russia to determine when we’ll be ready to restore full service.”
As Moscow continues its invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill that will punish anybody who broadcast “false news” about the Russian army with up to 15 years in prison.
Opponents slammed the bill right once, but the Kremlin defended it over the weekend, arguing the country was in the midst of a “information war” that necessitated counter-measures.
With one billion users worldwide, TikTok has revolutionised social media and the way artists are discovered.