Russian subscribers to Netflix have filed a class action lawsuit against the streaming giant, claiming that it unlawfully ceased its service in March after the invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters. The lawsuit, filed this week on behalf of Russian subscribers, seeks 60 million rubles ($726,000) in damages, according to the RIA news agency.
A number of streaming services, including Netflix, stopped serving the Russian market in March in response to Russia’s invasion. The suspension included both streaming as well as production activities taking place in the country.
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia," a Netflix spokesperson said at the time. Russian subscriptions number approximately less than 1 million, a small fraction of Netflix’s nearly 222 million subscribers worldwide.
“Today, a law firm representing the interests of Netflix users filed a class action lawsuit against the American Netflix service with the Khamovnichesky District Court of Moscow”, RIA attributed to the law firm Chernyshov, Lukoyanov & Partners. “The reason for the lawsuit was a violation of Russian users’ rights due to Netflix’s unilateral refusal to provide services in Russia.”
Netflix has yet to comment.
