TikTok suspends live streaming in Russia citing new fake news law

Chinese video-sharing app TikTok has suspended livestreaming and new content to video services in Russia following the introduction of new ‘fake news’ law in the country that threatened jail terms of up to 15 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a federal law criminalizing the spread of disinformation about the Russian armed forces, their defamation, as well as the calls for sanctions against Russia.

Global news media including CNN and BBC said they were suspending their operations to protect their journalists from the new law.

“However, our highest priority is the safety of our employees and our users, and in light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service in Russia while we review the safety implications of this law,” the streaming app said in a statement.

The company said that they will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when we might fully resume our services with safety as our top priority.

“Our in-app messaging service will not be affected. 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,” the statement added.

Earlier, Kremlin had said Putin has signed a federal law broadening sanctions for violating the rights of Russian citizens to all foreigners and stateless persons.

“The federal law stipulates criminal liability for public dissemination under the guise of reliable reports of knowingly false information on the use of the Russian Armed Forces aiming to protect the interests of Russia and its citizens and maintain international peace and security,” the Kremlin statement read. Business Standard