Netflix bans more than One Million subscriber accounts; Know why

In a major move, Netflix has banned more than one million subscribers to its platform. The reason behind banning these accounts is nothing short of shocking.

Netflix has banned over one million subscribers’ accounts. Shocked? Find out why the streaming giant pulled this move. (Pixabay)

In a shocking move, Netflix has banned more than one million subscribers to its platform. These Netflix account holders had one thing in common and it was not that they were sharing their passwords. All of the banned accounts belong to people living in Russia. The California-based streaming giant has shut its shop in Russia following the decision of Vladimir Putin to wage war against Ukraine. As a result, now Russian citizens will not be able to access Netflix on their smartphone, TVs or tablets. With this move, Netflix has joined the list of growing western brands that have boycotted the country.

It was in March that Netflix first announced that it will be pausing all projects and acquisitions from Russia and soon after a representative gave an official statement that the company will be pulling out of the country. However, the decision was finally enacted this week as Netflix officially shut down in Russia.

Netflix bans one million subscribers to oppose Russia's war on Ukraine

While many western websites were banned by the Russian government, Netflix remained one of the few which websites given free access in the country. Netflix was a popular form of entertainment source in Russian households, and this decision has come off as a shock to many. According to a report by Express, Russian customers have filed a lawsuit against the streaming giant demanding 60 million Russian Rubles (around Rs. 7.5 Crore) as a compensation for this abrupt shutdown.

However, Express also reported that many Russian citizens are still accessing the streaming platform by using VPNs. Netflix released one of its most popular original series Stranger Things last week, following which the demand of the platform has risen in Russia.

Russia deals with multiple sanctions as Netflix joins the list

The Russian war on Ukraine has been ongoing for three months now, and during this period Russia has faced multiple sanctions coming both from foreign governments as well as boycotts from private organizations. The sanctions were declared as a way to put pressure on Putin and stop the Ukraine war, but so far, Russia remains unperturbed.

Iconic brands that have shut shop in Russia following the war include McDonald's, Coca Cola, Heineken, Starbucks and now Netflix.