Netflix is not so “chill’ in Russia.
The streaming service launched there earlier this year, and it has been a hit among Russians eager to watch foreign shows. But the Russian government isn’t a fan.
Most Americans think of Netflix as a service for binge-watching their favorite shows. But Moscow has a different spin on things. This week, the country’s Minister of Culture declared that the massive streaming service is actually a creepy Washington conspiracy to “get into the head of every person on earth” and “every television in the world.”
“It looks like our ideological friends [the US government], totally understand what is the most important art form, and they understand how to enter people’s homes by getting into every television with the help of Netflix. And through this television, [they get into] the heads of everyone on earth. Meanwhile we [in Russia] don’t seem to get this,” Vladimir Medinsky said in an interview with Rambler News Service on Wednesday.
According to Medinsky, Netflix has been able to grow thanks to financial support from the U.S. government that includes direct contributions and grants. He also questioned the legitimacy of the company. “And you think that these huge startups emerge by themselves? One college student sits down, comes up with an idea, and billions of dollars fall from above?!” he told RNS.
Some people on Twitter were quick to embrace Medinsky’s theory:
https://twitter.com/treugolny_hui/status/745654825015197696
Translation: Pornhub and Netflix are advanced examples of the US army’s information war against Russia.
But others poked fun at the culture minister.
@saumrk I watch Netflix so the CIA & NATO control my mind. I'm a reptilian humanoid and my brain waves are devouring Russia & Gayropa.
— (((ChristinaOtero))) (@morozhnoye) June 22, 2016
Wait until he discovers that Netflix is already available in Russia. https://t.co/v0f1Dtnvel
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 22, 2016
Since launching in Russia January—as part of much bigger expansion into 129 new countries—Netflix has gained considerable traction in big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. It’s helped by the fact that many Russians are tired of the hassle of using online torrents to watch their favorite foreign shows.
But the Russian government has kept Netflix on a tight leash. Just a month after it launched, officials tried to shut it down for not obtaining a “special license” to operate. The government now requires Netflix to translate 80 percent of its content into Russian and to produce domestically 30 percent of the shows it offers to Russian viewers.
It’s all part of a bigger campaign by Moscow in recent months to filter out non Russian influences that the government perceives to be a potential threat. In the next few days, a package of new laws is expected to pass that the government says would help prevent terrorism—but that some analysts say is really aimed at limiting foreign influence in the country.
Under the new laws, Moscow would have the legal right to get access to telephone conversations and text messages that it deems important for security purposes. And anyone accused of sharing anti-Russia information on social media could be barred from leaving the country.
