Netflix in a difficult situation. May be forced to broadcast Putin’s propaganda

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Russian Roskomnadzor has already demanded that independent media remove programs and materials about the attack on Ukraine. In early March, the state regulator of media and internet in Russia will also introduce new regulations to the Netflix platform, which was added to the register of audiovisual content platforms supervised by the authorities last year. They require VOD sites to broadcast 20 federal TV channels, she reports

Will Netflix broadcast Kremlin propaganda?

From March 1, it is to be covered by the new regulations of Roskomnadzor, the state regulator of media and internet in Russia. In 2021, the Office included the platform in the register of media services it controls. According to the regulation, every VOD site that has at least 100,000 daily users in Russia is obliged to broadcast 20 Russian TV channels such as Channel One, NTV and Spas (this is a station run by the Russian Orthodox Church).

As Politico notes, the Russian Channel One is very closely associated with the Kremlin and a large group of Vladimir Putin’s closest political allies. This group includes the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, Sergei Naryshkin, and the deputy chief of staff, Alexey Gromov. Among other things, Gromov oversees government propaganda and censorship – he used to work as Putin’s press spokesman.

It is estimated that Netflix has about a million users in Russia, and experts asked by “Politico” say that the platform is unlikely to withdraw from that market. Catalina Iordache, which specializes in researching the business model of the American platform, comments for the portal: “It seems to me that it is unlikely that they would reject the regulations and withdraw”. This may be related to the contract that Netflix has signed with the Moscow media house National Media Group and investments in Russian film productions such as the series “Anna K.”.

Netflix and NMG have been working together since 2020, and their deal was widely commented on as a landmark, an event intended to “set new standards for foreign streaming platforms in Russia.” The case is so troublesome that NMG is to have a 20 percent package. shares in the pro-Kremlin channel Channel One. Iordache informed “Politico” that in 2021 Netflix was gaining more and more users in Russia, it is also known that the market share may be even greater, because the potential base of new customers is really large.

The regulations imposed on Netflix are also supposed to oblige him not to “promote extremism”. In November 2021, the Russian Interior Minister confirmed that he would be dealing with a complaint against Netflix by Olga Baranets, a family protection officer. The investigation is about spreading “homosexual propaganda” on Netflix. If officials believe that the productions available on the platform violate draconian laws prohibiting the promotion of non-traditionally heterosexual relationships, the company is threatened with fines or even suspension of operations. Let us recall that in 2017 the Strasbourg Court ruled that the Russian provisions on the “prohibition of promoting homosexuality” violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

In Russia, demonstrations and marches organized by LGBT circles have been banned since 2013. According to the Russian authorities, this is “promoting homosexuality”, which is punishable by a fine. The organizers can get a fine of 500,000. rubles (about PLN 51 thousand). The law that Putin was pushing through is also pleasing to the Church in Russia, whose representatives openly say that homosexuality is one of the country’s most serious problems. Activists of gay rights organizations have been alarming for years that such laws foster aggression against homosexuals.

So far, Netflix has not responded to the matter and made no comment on “Politico”. However, it is known that the platform is not available in a few authoritarian countries and regions such as: China, North Korea, Syria and Crimea.

Meanwhile, Netflix operates in nearly 190 countries around the world, and in 2021 it ran a campaign under the slogan “It’s impossible to write a full story without LGBTQIA +”. Users of the platform could see non-normative characters in such productions as “Orange Is the New Black”, “House of Paper”, “Stranger Things”, “Sex Education,” Queen’s Gambit “,” Chilling Adventures of Sabrina “or” Szkoła dla elite ” .

, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and minister of digitization, already on Saturday appealed to American companies such as Google, YouTube, Apple and Netflix to limit access to their services in Russia – so that young Russians would feel the impact of the conflict that was unleashed by Vladimir Putin and put pressure on the Kremlin, to end the invasion. Facebook and Google are already taking steps – the Russian state media has been cut off from the possibility of earning money by distributing advertisements.

The Russian war against Ukraine continues. There is information about houses destroyed, wounded and killed. Needs are increasing hour by hour. That is why Gazeta.pl joins forces with (PCPM) to support humanitarian aid for Ukrainians and Ukrainians. Anyone can join the fundraiser by paying via Facebook or pcpm.org.pl/ukraina. More information in the article below: