In addition to the economic and legal actions governments have taken throughout the world to express their outrage following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, internet behemoths are stepping in to assist.
Google has turned off commercial and road traffic data for maps to hide the movement of suspected troops. It is also countering misinformation to improve account settings.
The tech giant has announced the Russian invasion as “a tragedy and a humanitarian disaster in the making,” and suggested some steps to help the besieged country. Google’s team is ready to work 24/7, facing cyber warfare and ensuring the public can access reliable information.
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Additional measures include Google.org’s support, which has already raised $15 million in donations for Ukraine aid and relief with the help of company employees. Some $5 million of that will be used to promote reputable governmental and humanitarian organizations. While “malicious activity” hasn’t increased significantly, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has discovered evidence that cyberattackers are focusing on Ukraine-related targets, including members of the country’s government.
Google is also taking an unusually bold step by removing from its platform, YouTube channels for Kremlin propaganda outlets Sputnik and RT for European viewers (Russia Today). Due to the measures, state-funded media in Russia cannot profit from the content they publish. While most of Google services are still available to Russian citizens, Google has stated that it is “committed to complying with all sanctions requirements.”
Economic sanctions imposed by the US and other NATO countries have already put a significant financial strain on Russia, causing the ruble’s value to plummet and prompting bank runs in major cities. It’s unclear what impact this will have on Vladimir Putin’s plans, but it appears that more sanctions are coming from all over in the coming days.
