Citing Recent Events, Netflix Paused Its Service in Russia

It's the latest response from the streaming service

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Netflix stepped up its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Companies across the entertainment industry have responded in myriad ways to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some of the highest-profile reactions have come from studios like Disney and Warner Bros., who have opted to nix the Russian releases of several highly-anticipated films. Now, Netflix has joined them — taking an equivalent action, which in this case means going dark across Russia.

“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson for the service told The Hollywood Reporter.

This isn’t the first time this year that Netflix has tangled with the Russian government. In late February, Netflix stated it would not add propaganda originating from state-run channels to its service in Russia. According to a Deadline report on the decision, Netflix has under a million subscribers in Russia — though the company has begun to delve into the world of Russian-language productions.

That, too, is on hold; The Hollywood Reporter also noted that Netflix has paused production on those shows for the time being. Numerous media and technology companies alike are reacting to Russia’s actions in ways designed to isolate the country. The cumulative effect of all of these actions could be dramatic indeed.

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