Right to be entertained: Russians sue Netflix after market exit
Russian Netflix users are suing the streaming giant after it exited the market last month, citing a violation of their rights.
Nearly 200,000 people have launched a lawsuit against Netflix, demanding 60 million roubles (£563,000) in compensation, the RIA news agency reported.
“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”, the law firm Chernyshov, Lukoyanov & Partners said.
“The reason for the lawsuit was a violation of Russian users’ rights due to Netflix’s unilateral refusal to provide services in Russia.”
The US streamer halted production of Russian language series Zato, as well as all future projects and acquisitions from Russia.
However, the company notably faced public backlash on Twitter for its delayed response to the Russian invasion, including emerging hashtags #netflixstopsupportingrussia and #CancelNetflix.
At the time, users posted screenshot Netflix’s customer service team, with the firm stating that it was adopting a “nonpartisan” position; it eventually u-turned on this.
Hundreds of Western companies have suspended operations in Russia, including many of the big film studios.