You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Netflix Defies Russian Law And Refuses To Air State Channels In a bold move by the streaming giant, Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) has refused to add propaganda channels in Russia, citing "the current situation," namely the Ukraine invasion. To continue operating...

By Cristian Bustos

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on ValueWalk

Jade87 / Pixabay - Valuewalk

In a bold move by the streaming giant, Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) has refused to add propaganda channels in Russia, citing "the current situation," namely the Ukraine invasion. To continue operating in the country, the platform is required to add 20 federal television channels, including the government-led Piervy Kanal, as of March 1.

Q4 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more

Disregarding Russian Law

According to European website Politico, Netflix must spread Kremlin propaganda if it wants to continue doing business in the country. The requirement is part of Russia's communication regulator to control content viewed on media outlets and streaming services.

The law means that the platform must 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 is widely known for having close ties with Moscow.

On Monday evening, a Netflix spokesperson was quoted as saying: "Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service."

The announcement arrives at a time when the Russian invasion of Ukraine is triggering worldwide outcry and has prompted the globe's biggest economies to draw sanctions against the country.

Unforeseeable Consequences

"The law, which would have applied to Netflix as of March 1, requires media platforms that reach more than 100,000 subscribers in Russia to distribute free-to-air Russian news and entertainment TV channels," CNN Business reports.

Despite the law coming into effect on March 1, it is unknown the consequences Netflix will face after refusing to comply —at present, the company is set to continue operating in Russia despite the announcement.

As part of the bulk of sanctions coming from all fronts, Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) and Warner Bros announced they would not release new films —Warner Bros said is canceling the premiere of The Batman.

Disney said in a statement: "Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we will pause the release of our films in Russia, including Pixar's upcoming Turning Red."

Netflix is part of the Entrepreneur Index, which tracks 60 of the largest publicly traded companies managed by their founders or their founders' families.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Growing a Business

To Achieve Sustainable Success, You Need to Stop Focusing on Disruption. Here's Why — and What You Must Focus on Instead.

Instead of zeroing in solely on disruptive innovation, embrace a pragmatic approach to innovation, recognizing and leveraging the potential within ongoing industry shifts.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Says This CEO Is the 'Taylor Swift' of Tech

Meta's CEO posed with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Instagram Wednesday.

Real Estate

3 Emerging Trends Shaping the Future of Real Estate

These three innovations are reshaping the real estate industry — discover tips for effectively covering these trends.

Leadership

What We Have to Gain By Talking About Grief and Loss At Work

I lost my husband to cancer during Covid — here's how it changed how I lead at work.

Side Hustle

This Mom Started a Side Hustle After a 'Shocking' Realization in the Toy Aisle. Her Product Was in Macy's Within the Year — Seeing Nearly $350,000 in Sales.

Elenor Mak, now founder of Jilly Bing, didn't plan to start a business — but the search for a doll that looked like her daughter inspired her to do just that.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.