NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – TikTok, a popular social media platform, has declared that it would stop uploading any video material from Russia in order to protect its staff and comply with the country’s new “fake news” legislation.
“We have no option but to halt livestreaming and new material to our video service in light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law,” the firm stated in a Twitter tweet, adding that its in-app chat service will be unaffected.
“With safety as our main concern, we will continue to analyse the unfolding situation in Russia to decide when we might be able to completely resume our services.”
As Moscow moves on with its invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a measure proposing up to 15-year prison penalties for spreading “false news” about the Russian army.
The bill drew immediate criticism from opponents, but the Kremlin defended it over the weekend, claiming that the nation was in the midst of a “information war” that demanded counter-measures.
TikTok has revolutionised social media and the way artists are found with its one billion followers globally.