In response to U.S. government sanctions, Notion, a popular productivity platform, discontinued its operations in Russia. The company pointed to new U.S. restrictions that ban access to certain software services for Russian users as the primary reason for this decision.
Notion is known for its versatile platform, which integrates note-taking, task management, document creation, and collaboration tools. It boasts a global user base of over 30 million. However, with the company’s withdrawal from Russia, the company’s user base will suffer.
Russian users have been given until September 8, 2024, to download their data before their accounts and workspaces are permanently deleted. Notion has provided a detailed guide on its website to assist users in exploring their content, with options available in PDF, HTML, and CSV formats.
However, Enterprise-level workspaces may face some potential hurdles as some administrators may have restricted the ability to export data, reports BleepingComputer.
In these cases, the export option may not be available, potentially leaving some users without a way to retrieve their information.
For users dealing with large files, Notion has indicated that an email containing a download link will be sent instead of providing a direct download from the platform.
Notably, Notion clarified that the closure will only affect users physically located in Russia. Workspaces owned by users outside Russia involving Russian collaborators will remain intact, though Russian-based users will lose access after September 9.
“On and after September 9, 2024, workspaces whose billing information has been associated with Russia will be terminated to comply with U.S. sanctions. If the workspace has never had billing information associated with Russia, it will not be terminated,” Notion explained.
In addition, subscription plans for impacted users will be automatically terminated on the same date, with no further charges being applied.
The company has taken steps to ensure that affected users are well-informed, sending out direct email notifications two weeks before the closure date to provide ample time for users to secure their data.
“If you believe your workspace is at risk or you received an email from Notion informing you of your workspace’s upcoming termination, we recommend exporting your information using these instructions to prevent information loss,” concluded Notion.
Earlier, in July, Kaspersky, a Russian cybersecurity company, announced the closure of its United States division after being banned by the United States Commerce Department.
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