Today is TikTok’s turn to sanction Russia. The social network announced on Twitter that it is no longer possible to post videos or launch a live from the country. A new measure that further isolates the latter, after other big names in tech have ended their Russian activities.
The sanctions follow one another and… look alike. Every day for some time now, Russia finds itself deprived of an international service. Intel and AMD led the way by stopping selling their chips domestically. Even today, other companies are following suit, the latest being Netflix, which also blocked access to its platform. In the meantime, several big names in tech have had time to announce newsimilar measures.
This Sunday March 6, TikTok entered the dance. On Twitter, the social network said it had no “no choice but to suspend the lives and the publication of new content on [sa] platform the time to examine the security impact of this law”. This law mentioned by the social network is the one concerning the spread of fake news in Russia, who — officially — pushed the country to block Facebook and restrict Twitter this weekend.
TikTok blocks Russians from posting content
In reality, this law is intended to prevent the population from propagate disagreeing messages with Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and criticizing the army’s ongoing action. Thereby, “in times of war where the population faces immense tragedy and isolation”, TikTok fears for “the safety of its employees”. However, the application specified maintain email support.
Related: War in Ukraine May Worsen Shortage of Computer Chips
It is not yet known whether users will be able to view the videos posted from abroad. On the other hand, this decision is almost akin to a diplomatic crisis. While China, Russia’s historical ally, has not yet spoken out against the declaration of war, the application seems to have taken the lead. Moreover, at this rate, the country will soon be private from all the biggest web platforms. In response, Russia brandishes the threat of disconnecting Europe from the Internet.
