What you need to know
- Adobe is ceasing new sales in Russia.
- It is also ensuring its products and services are not being used by prohibited entities who are sanctioned.
- Finally, it is terminating access to some services for state-sponsored media outlets.
Adobe has announced it will stop all new sales in Russia citing the "unlawful war" being waged in Ukraine.
CEO Shantanu Narayen stated in a blog post:
Over the past several days, we have continued to witness unprovoked, violent attacks on Ukraine and the tragic loss of innocent lives. The images are horrifying and heartbreaking. As we see this tragedy unfold, we believe we have a responsibility to ensure our products and services are not used in support of this unlawful war.Earlier this week, Adobe took a series of steps to ensure the health and safety of our employees and provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine.Effective immediately, Adobe will halt all new sales of Adobe products and services in Russia.
Adobe further revealed it was complying with EU, US, and UK sanctions to ensure that none of its products and services were being used by "prohibited entities." It also revealed it was cutting off the access of government-controlled media outlets to Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Document Cloud, and Adobe Experience Cloud.
It has also donated $1 million to humanitarian operations in the region. Narayen concluded:
We understand there is only so much one company can do to impact an unjustified invasion. But we also understand our civic and moral responsibility to support democracy and humanity. We are committed to doing everything we can to stand in support of those directly affected and with our entire Adobe community.
Adobe makes some of the best iPhone and iPad tools for creating and editing of photos and movies, as well as brilliant MacBook apps for professionals. It is the latest company in a rapidly-growing list of entities that have suspended operations in Russia in response to the invasion. Apple announced earlier this week it would cease selling products in the country earlier this week.
