Tech company Canva withdraws entirely from Russia after pressure, joining global exodus as war continues
Canva blocks Russia after pressure, joining global exodus as war drags on, 1 June 2022
Australia’s most successful private technology company, graphic design software firm Canva, is withdrawing entirely from Russia following pressure from the Australian-Ukrainian technology community and discussions with the Ukrainian embassy.
It had cut off payments from Russia on March 1, soon after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, but had kept its free service available there with anti-war design templates and a pro-peace banner. After Australian-Ukrainian activists began targeting the company in mid-May Canva stepped up its language but stopped short of pulling out of Russia, arguing it was aiding anti-war voices in the country
But it has reconsidered, with co-founder Cliff Obrecht declaring on Wednesday the company is blocking access to Russia indefinitely, which will affect about 1.4 million users...