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Russian IT firm Yandex sells its news business as censorship grows amid Ukraine war

Yandex

Yandex, Russia’s largest internet company, announced that it has agreed to sell its news aggregator and its homepage to state-controlled rival VK, a drastic step that will likely limit Russians’ access to independent media even further.

The all-share agreement, in which Yandex will buy 100% of food delivery firm Delivery Club, represents a dramatic shift in Russia’s internet landscape, with Yandex effectively handing over control of online content distribution to a Kremlin-friendly entity.

After Russia launched tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24, it passed a law prohibiting what it terms “false information” about Russia’s armed forces and limiting the ability of numerous organisations to broadcast freely.

“The board and management of Yandex have concluded that the interests of the company’s stakeholders…are best served by pursuing the strategic exit from its media businesses and shifting to a focus on other technologies and services,” Yandex said in a statement.

Yandex, frequently referred to as “Russia’s Google,” has agreed with Moscow’s demands and the threat of fines over which publishers’ stories can appear on its news aggregator in recent years, garnering criticism for its impact on media freedom.

Yandex restricts access to sites, many of which are independent media, that have been blacklisted by Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator, and in February began warning Russian users seeking information on events in Ukraine of untrustworthy information online.

On March 1, a former head of Yandex News, Lev Gershenzon, described Yandex as a crucial component in concealing information regarding the Ukrainian crisis. Yandex has denied any involvement in censorship.

“We are buying our freedom,” a Yandex insider remarked. “This business has been such a weight on our feet”. “This will enable us to do our business significantly depoliticised, practically completely depoliticised.”

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