Spotify is beginning the process of fully suspending its service in Russia.
The decision comes after the company closed its office space in Russia, and suspended all premium accounts in the nation, earlier in March. It hopes to have its full service suspended in early April, according to a Reuters report, with the company citing recently passed censorship laws in Russia as its reason for shutting down there.
In a statement, a Spotify spokesperson said: "Spotify has continued to believe that it’s critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information in the region. Unfortunately, recently enacted legislation further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalising certain types of news puts the safety of Spotify’s employees and possibly even our listeners at risk. After carefully considering our options and the current circumstances, we have come to the difficult decision to fully suspend our service in Russia."
