Russia leading Internet company Yandex on On Tuesday, she said she agreed to sell it news The aggregator and the main page of yandex.ru for the VK . competition in a move Likely to limit the Russians access to independence media.
all share deal, in Which will Yandex acquire 100% of Food delivery service delivery club, represents a big transformation in Internet scene in Russia, with Yandex pass control effectively over distribution of online content for a state-controlled company.
VK already runs Russia’s largest social networkVKontakte, while Moscow blocked access For some foreign platforms, including Facebook and Instagram for Meta Platforms.
Russia’s years-long repression of does not depend on media It intensified sharply after Moscow sent its troops to Ukraine on February 24, passed a law prohibiting “false Information about the armed forces and the suppression of many organizations. ability to me broadcast free.
“The board and management of Yandex has concluded that interests of The company’s stakeholders… hmm best Served by pursuing a strategic exit from media Business and shift to focus on else technologies and services,” Yandex said in a permit.
Nasdaq-listed Yandex, often referred to as the “Russian Google” in Complied recent years with Moscow’s demands are under threat of fines over Publications stories can feature on that it news compound, cash fee over the influence on media Freedom.
Moscow did not block access For most foreigners-language mediaWhich remain free available in Russia and on Yandex, but search results don’t restrict access To which sites have the communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked, a lot of and she is russian-language does not depend on media.
In February, Yandex . started warning Russian users are seeking information Around events in Ukraine of Untrustworthy information online.
a former head of Yandex News, Lev Gershenzon, on Description of March 1 Yandex as a key an item in hide information About the conflict in Ukraine. Yandex has denied being complicit in Censorship.
“We are buying our freedom,” said a source close to Yandex. “this is business It was such a weight on our feet.
“This will enable us to do business Highly depoliticized, and practically depoliticised.”
search shift
Yandex dominates Russia online Search market with a share of About 62%, according to its analysis tool Yandex Radar. google accounts for about 36%, with mail.ru VK by less than 1%.
This stronghold over The online Search market likely to continue.
Yandex.ru displays the file bundle of news Stories below Its search bar, followed by DC of content. Company entry point for The search will now be ya.ru, a site similar to a Google homepage that is already plural with those who Prefer unordered searches.
Yandex.ru, complete with Yandex said that News and Zen, will be renamed dzen.ru, with VK to take over development and control over “contentLook and feel.”
The deal has been signed on Monday, requires antitrust approval is expected to close in Yandex said that the coming months.
