Adobe, PayPal, Netflix Leaving: Who Will Remain in Russia?

It becomes harder by the hour to name all the tech brands that suspend their operations in Russia amid its invasion in Ukraine. The most noticeable among those who have made this decision recently are Adobe, Netflix, PayPal, and – the most prominently – Visa and MasterCard.

 The reasons these companies have articulated are not that different. Adobe directly stated that it doesn’t want its products to participate in this aggressive war. PayPal didn’t use these words, though let it know that this move was made in support of Ukraine.

 Not that Netflix products can be directly used for military purposes, but the taxes it pays can. So the company decided to leave the Russian and Belarusian markets too, making its subscriptions impossible to prolong from Russia. Removing Russian content and suspending coproduction with Russian filmmakers is also a move to distance itself from the market that becomes toxic.

 Gaming companies join the sanctions too. Epic and Ubisoft, EA, CDPR, Rockstar, and other industry giants directly state they stop operations on the Russian market. Even those who didn’t impose their own sanctions, like Valve, block using Russian cards, making it impossible for Russian and Belarusian users to buy or subscribe. And this is due to payment systems restrictions.

 As for MasterCard and Visa, their backstep made it impossible to use credit cards issued in Russia outside the country, and vice versa. Given that non-Russian banks are highly likely to refuse Russians who want to open accounts there, this means a powerful barrier preventing international transactions.

 What do you think about IT companies sanctioning Russia and Belarus? Is it dictated by sanctions imposed by states, or can it be their own initiative? Who’s to leave next? Let’s speak our thoughts in the comments!