NEW YORK – Social media giant TikTok announced it is suspending the posting of all video content from Russia in order to keep its employees safe and comply with the country’s new “fake news” regulations.
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” the company said in a Twitter message, adding that its in-app messaging service will not be affected according to AFP.
“We will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when we might fully resume our services with safety as our top priority.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for publishing “fake news” about the Russian army.
TikTok, with its one billion users worldwide, has helped revolutionise social media and the way artists are discovered.
In its Twitter thread, TikTok described itself as “an outlet for creativity and entertainment that can provide a source of relief and human connection during a time of war when people are facing immense tragedy and isolation.”
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