Responses to information warfare, cyber attacks, and monitoring movements through Google and Apple maps have revealed the role of technology companies during conflict.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked outcry and sanctions, but the direct power to shape human destiny in the 21st Century doesn’t lie with governments alone.
From social media platforms being used for information warfare to software companies defending customers from state-sponsored cyber attacks, the invasion has highlighted how critical technology companies are in times of conflict.
They are also potential levers of influence. Ukraine’s digital minister Mykhailo Federov has called on a number of companies, including Netflix, to block their services in Russia.
Many argued in response that keeping their services available was the best way to inform Russians about the invasion, but some have been pulled and others are being monitored for manipulation.
Here are how some of the worlds leading tech companies are responding:
Apple
In a statement Apple said: “We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence.”
The company said it has “paused all product sales” in Russia while “Apple Pay and other services have been limited”.
In Ukraine, the company has “disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps… as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens” amid concerns that Russia could attack locations where large groups were gathering.
Outside of Russia the company has removed the apps for RT and Sputnik from the App Store.
In a statement Google said: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine is both a tragedy and a humanitarian disaster in the making.”
In Ukraine the company has updated its Search and Maps services to provide alerts to UN resources for people searching for refugee and asylum information.
Similar to Apple, the company has also disabled some live Google Maps features in the country “including the traffic layer and information about how busy places are, to help protect the safety of local communities and their citizens”.
Google said it had been taking action against “Russia-backed hacking and influence operations” for years and was continuing to automatically increase Google account security protections.
It said it was also providing protection against DDoS attacks for more than 100 Ukrainian websites, including local news services.
The company has blocked the YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe – including the UK, which is not covered by the European Union restrictions – and has banned RT from monetising its content on any of its advertising platforms.
In Russia, the company said most of its services would remain available, helping people there access global information and perspectives beyond those of state-controlled media.
Microsoft
In its statement Microsoft said it was “following closely the tragic, unlawful and unjustified invasion of Ukraine” and was working to support humanitarian organisations.
It has stopped all new sales of products and services in Russia as of Friday.
The company said it has been and will continue to detect and advise the Ukrainian government about cyber attacks targeting the country’s digital infrastructure.
“We remain especially concerned about recent cyberattacks on Ukrainian civilian digital targets, including the financial sector, agriculture sector, emergency response services, humanitarian aid efforts, and energy sector organisations and enterprises,” the company said.
Microsoft added that it was removing the RT news apps from the Windows App Store and de-ranking RT and Sputnik on Bing, as well as banning all of their advertisements from its networks.
Many more of the worlds leading Technology companies by cutting services to Russia and by providing support in many different ways to Ukraine