Amazon Cuts Off Prime Video Access and Stops Retail Deliveries in Russia
- Amazon has suspended Prime Video access to customers in Russia as a reaction to the current events.
- The tech giant will not take any more orders for New World, the only video game they sold directly in Russia.
- New AWS customers based in Belarus and Russia will not be accepted nor will shipments be made to these countries.
Amazon is taking further steps to stop its services in Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, causing a severe humanitarian crisis. The tech giant announced cutting off access to Prime Video for customers based in Russia and discontinuing sales for the New World game, the only video game they sell directly in Russia.
Amazon said in a blog post that it had stopped shipment for all its retail products in Russia and Belarus and that it would not accept any new third-party sellers in these countries. "Given the ongoing situation in Russia and Ukraine, we've taken additional actions in the region," the tech giant said.
It also reminded readers that Amazon and AWS (Amazon Web Services) have no offices in Russia and abstain from doing business with the Russian government. However, AWS is currently working closely with customers and partners in Ukraine. "We are building and supplying technical services and tools to customers in Ukraine to help them securely migrate their on-premises infrastructure onto AWS in order to protect it from any potential physical or virtual attack," the blog post read.
Apart from donating $5 million to those impacted by the war in Ukraine, Amazon said that it continues to match donations made by its employees, to organizations like Save the Children and Red Cross. Amazon has no direct operations in Ukraine, but it is working with NGOs to provide immediate relief to affected Ukrainians.
Other gaming companies like EA Games, CD Projekt Red, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and Epic Games have also halted their services in Russia. Amazon now joins a group of tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Netflix, and PayPal, who have also severed ties with the nation and arrested operations there.
Also read: Read Tim Cook's Email to Apple Employees on Russia-Ukraine Conflict