New York: The global news media has ceased operations in Russia after the Russian government criminalized independent journalism. BBC, CNN, Bloomberg News, ABC News and CBS News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) ceased operations in Russia. Many media outlets assessed the security threat and removed the bylines of journalists in Russia. Payment company PayPal ceased operations in Russia on Saturday.
The BBC and Bloomberg have announced that they have suspended operations in Russia. Russia had earlier blocked the operation of the BBC Russia’s website. The BBC has called on journalists and other staff in Russia to suspend their work, citing security concerns. However, officials said that the Russian-language BBC News would be broadcast outside Russia.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed legislation criminalizing freelance journalism in Russia.
False news is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The law also states that prison sentences and fines vary according to the type of news. Critics say the new law is meant to prevent Russian attacks on Ukraine.
American online streaming giant Netflix has banned films from Russia. The decision was made not to show Russian videos anymore. The company has also put off future projects. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has said that StarLink, the satellite Internet arm of his rocket company SpaceX, will not block Russian news sources.
Russia has banned several foreign news websites, including the BBC and the German media outlet Deutsche Velle, for spreading false information about the war in Ukraine. Russia has also blocked Facebook, accusing it of controlling government-controlled media outlets such as Russia Today and Sputnik.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has already banned news organizations across the European Union. International card companies such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express have withdrawn from dealing with Russian banks following Russian sanctions by Western nations.