U.S streaming giant Netflix has responded to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine by saying that it will not comply with new Russian rules to carry 20 state-backed channels.
Netflix was due to fall under a series of new obligations in Russia on March 1 after it was added to a register of “audiovisual services” overseen by the country’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, last year.
The obligations mean that Netflix would have had to stream 20 Russian federal television stations, including the likes of Channel One, NTV and a channel run by the Russian Orthodox Church, Spas. Channel One in particular has close links to the Kremlin.
“Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service,” a Netflix spokesperson said on Monday evening.