Major Companies vs the Russian Invasion 

The Russian invasion has underlined the importance of technology firms in times of conflict, from social media platforms being exploited for cyberwarfare to software companies safeguarding clients from government-sponsored cyber assaults. Not only that, but they are also potentially influencers. Mykhailo Federov, Ukraine’s digital minister, has urged a number of corporations to suspend their services in Russia. Many major companies have chosen to follow suit—if you’re living in Russia searching for information about sports bookie, make sure to read about the betting company’s announcements to see if they’re suspending activities.  

This step has caused a lot of controversies. Many people claimed that maintaining their services online was the best way to tell Russians about the war, but some have been withdrawn and others are being watched for manipulation. This is how they’re reacting.

1. Apple

Apple has been quite vocal about the Russian invasion. The company has expressed profound concern and sympathized with all the people suffering as a consequence of the bloodshed. The corporation has haunted all product sales in Russia, and Apple Pay and other activities have been restricted. On the other side—in Ukraine—Apple blocked traffic and live occurrences in Apple Maps. This was done as a safety and precautionary step for Ukrainian residents amid fears that Russia might strike meeting places for big numbers. Moreover, Apple banned RT and Sputnik applications from the App Store.

2. Airbnb

Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, announced the company’s suspension of its services in both Russia as well as Belarus. Chesky announced that the business would work with hosts to lodge up to 100,000 Ukrainians who had been forced to evacuate their homes and that all booking costs in the nation would be waived. What’s more, he encouraged people in neighboring countries to use Airbnb in order to provide services in their homes.

3. Google

Google remarked in a statement that the Russian invasion is a disaster and a humanitarian calamity in the works—it modified its Search and Maps services to send notifications to UN resources for those looking for information on refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine. Like Apple, Google blocked several live Google Maps functions in the nation such as the traffic layer and info about how popular areas are to help preserve the wellbeing of local communities and their inhabitants. The company stated that it had been actively working against Russia-backed hacking and influence activities for years and that it will continue to automatically strengthen Google account security defenses.

Leon Motley

“Typical beer trailblazer. Hipster-friendly web buff. Certified alcohol fanatic. Internetaholic. Infuriatingly humble zombie lover.”