What happened. Upwork, the largest freelance exchange, has blocked Russian and Belarusian accounts on the platform.
Source. This was reported by “Kommersant” with reference to letters received by freelancers from Belarus and Russia.
Details. The letters refer to the freezing from June 1 of the accounts of users from Russia and Belarus who are physically in these countries. In case of change of residence, access to the platform is promised to be restored.
Upwork announced the suspension of work in Russia and Belarus on March 7, but gave the opportunity to complete the contracts.
The platform has several million registered users who provide their services to companies and individuals around the world. In March 2022, Upwork was included in the list of the 100 most influential corporations according to TIME magazine.
Background. Meanwhile, foreign customers refuse to work with IT professionals living in Russia. Companies are afraid of blocking their accounts, which is why they do not transfer funds to Russia.