Dominic Raab says we have sanctioned more banks than EU
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While Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his brutal attack on Ukraine, companies across the globe are increasingly distancing themselves from Russia. Netflix joins a number of Silicon Valley businesses and global brands cutting ties with the country over the conflict, each sanctioning Russia in individual ways.
Netflix has responded to the crisis by withdrawing its commitment to add 20 state-backed channels to the streaming service.
Among a series of new obligations, Netflix, which was added to a register of audiovisuals services in Russia in December, was expected to comply with a law that requires streaming services with more than 100,000 daily users to carry 20 Russian federal television stations, which would be overseen by the country’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor.
The stations include the likes of NTV, Spas – which is a channel run by the Russian Orthodox Church – and Channel One, which has particularly close links to the Kremlin.
However, due to concerns around the proliferation of Russian propaganda and distribution of disinformation surrounding the invasion of Ukraine, a Netflix spokesperson said: “Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service.”
This isn’t the only action the streaming service has taken.
Netflix has also indefinitely suspended production of four Russian Netflix original movies – some of which were already in production. This includes crime series Zato, set after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Only launched in the country just over a year ago, the service is believed to already have around one million subscribers.
However, Netflix isn’t the only production company to have pushed back on Russia.
Several key Hollywood players including Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony, and Universal have also taken action, delaying upcoming film releases.
Warner Bros. announced it would “pause” the release of The Batman in Russia, while Universal Pictures has halted all planned theatrical releases in Russia.
Warner Bros. issued a statement saying: “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia.”
It continued: “We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”
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Disney, which is due to release new animated Pixar film Turning Red, announced this will also be pushed back for Russia.
A Disney spokesperson said: “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation,” adding that the company is “working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees”.
The Cannes Film Festival team also issued a statement on Tuesday expressing solidarity with Ukraine. It said: “Unless the war of assault ends in conditions that will satisfy the Ukrainian people, it has been decided that we will not welcome official Russian delegations nor accept the presence of anyone linked to the Russian government.”
The festival team added: “However, we would like to salute the courage of all those in Russia who have taken risks to protest against the assault and invasion of Ukraine.”
The Cannes Film Festival is due to take place in May 2022.
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