Why Did Russia Block SoundCloud?
Regulators have often criticized social media platforms because of how they aid in the spread of misinformation. Is SoundCloud one of those platforms that should be held accountable? Russia believes so. Thus, the Russian government banned SoundCloud.
The Story
The Interfax news agency, quoting Russian communication watchdog Roskomnadzor, first reported the story. It reported that Russia has restricted access to SoundCloud. According to Roskomnadzor, the orders came directly from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office.
What’s the reasoning behind this ban? The report said the Russian government decided to ban SoundCloud “following the publication of materials containing misinformation.”
The misinformation in question is about “the essence of the special military operation in Ukraine.” It includes claims that the Russian soldiers are responsible for the death of numerous civilians. Also, the information includes “the form in which the operation is conducted.” It also discussed “the methods of combat actions,” including attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilian population.
Roskomdnadzor says it has asked SoundCloud not once but twice to remove the “prohibited information.” SoundCloud did not comply and for a reason. Some entities siding with Russia deny there is a war happening in Ukraine. Suppose SoundCloud and other platforms take down information like this. It would not be easy to raise awareness about what’s really happening.
The Russian communications watchdog says access to SoundCloud will be restored once the platform has removed the materials in question.
Update from SoundCloud
SoundCloud posted an update regarding Russian platforms. It wrote that sanctions had forced it to terminate its partnership with VK, a Russian social media streaming service. So, it had to remove all previously distributed content from the platform. SoundCloud assured artists it is not collecting any royalty payments.
On the other hand, content from SoundCloud would remain on Yandex unless artists request their removal. SoundCloud says it is not able to collect any royalty payments on Yandex.
The music-streaming service says it knows how important it is for artists to distribute and get royalties from these platforms. So, it is “actively monitoring developments during this unprecedented time.” SoundCloud vows to provide more updates as they become available.
It’s Not Just SoundCloud
SoundCloud is not the first platform Russia banned amid the Ukraine war. It could also be not the last. The Russian government does not want citizens to access places where they don’t have information control. Furthermore, it issued fines on platforms that share what it claims to be false information.
Russia slowed down Twitter’s service and banned Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. Likewise, it has banned Google News, BBC News, and Amnesty International.
Some services voluntarily stopped operations in Russia. One example is Spotify, the other music-streaming juggernaut. Spotify says it’s because of Russia’s crackdown on free speech. The company said it “continued to believe keeping its service operational in Russia is critically important. The spokesperson said it enables users to find trusted, independent news and information in the region.
Unfortunately, Russia further restricted access to information. The recently enacted legislation also eliminates free expression and criminalizes certain types of news. Spotify believes it risks the safety of its employees and possibly even listeners. Therefore, the company decided to stop operations in Russia.
With both Spotify and SoundCloud out, Apple Music is the only major music-streaming service operational in Russia. However, Billboard reports it stopped uploading new releases shortly after the war began.
Substitute Apps
People are now so used to being able to access social media networks. Imagine living in Russia, where slowly, all of them are getting restricted or banned.
In response, Russian developers started making substitute apps. For example, there is Rossgram, an Instagram clone. The developers call it the country’s answer to Meta’s platform. However, its users don’t like it.
Most of these substitute apps are hastily made imitations. Some even include attempts at surveilling ordinary Russians, which they unashamedly did not try to hide. It is part of the Kremlin’s move to censor news about the war.
Grustnogram is another Instagram clone, but it’s different. It is a parody social network where users can post black-and-white photos to grieve about Russia’s growing online isolation. It took seven days and four people to build this working social media platform.
Grussnogram’s creators said they are sad about many good and popular services halting operations in the country. Furthermore, they are sad about what they are being offered as alternatives.
Russia has also made an alternative to YouTube. The site is called RuTube, and some Russian state media and government agencies have already moved their videos to the platform.
How about SoundCloud? Is there an alternative to it? Russia has just recently restricted SoundCloud. So, there are no alternatives to it yet, as of this writing.
Suppose they make a social platform that allows indie music artists a chance to be in the spotlight. It would be great for the artists in the country. However, it would still be worse than SoundCloud. SoundCloud has a wider reach, allowing Russian acts to be discovered internationally.
Furthermore, SoundCloud has gotten the formula for monetization right. The fan-powered royalties payment model put it above other music-streaming services. While a SoundCloud clone could use the same model, the payment would not be as high.
The Biggest Victims
Ultimately, the biggest victims are the artists that release their music through SoundCloud.
Artists outside Russia lose their Russian listeners. That would affect their earnings. Meanwhile, artists from Russia lose a platform they could use to build their music careers. It would not be enough even if Russian developers make a SoundCloud substitute. The alternative would not be able to provide what SoundCloud could provide.
Moreover, as with the other substitutes, the government could be overlooking the platform. So they can control what type of content gets on the platform. That’s against free speech and self-expression. And self-expression is the essence of music.
Hopefully, the war in Ukraine will soon stop. It would help not only the music artists suffering from the consequences but also everyone involved.
