Big tech giants had a tough battle ahead of themselves even before Russia invaded Ukraine. In contrast to the past wars, the Russian aggression over Ukraine played out entirely on tech platforms as opposed to major media channels.
However, as Putin declared war on Ukraine, the big tech companies, mainly Google and Facebook, were forced to do what they have never done before – choose sides. For years, both the platforms have argued their platforms are to express views from all sides and not moderate speech, but Russian invasion left these platforms as much vulnerable as Ukrainians putting a stiff resistance.
Russia tries to control the narrative online
In Russia, the narrative is often dictated by the one who controls the media. However, the country’s leadership is waking up to a new reality where a majority of Russians now get their news online. In order to control the narrative online, Russia has ramped up its efforts to control online tech platforms and news media.
Russia announced a partial restriction on Facebook on Friday last week, and the country followed with a similar restriction on Twitter a day later. The move came after Meta, the parent of Facebook, and Google imposed restrictions on Russia’s state-controlled media outlets in Ukraine and around the world.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, has become one of the major voices trying to force big tech companies to pick sides. He asked Tesla co-founder Elon Musk for support with satellite internet and Apple CEO Tim Cook to restrict its App Store in Russia. The pressure on big tech grew further when EU Commissioner Thierry Breton argued that Facebook and Google should take a hard line against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Online platforms took unprecedented steps after the Capitol Hill attacks,” Breton wrote on Twitter after a call with Google and YouTube leaders. “Surely Russian war #propaganda merits at least the same level of response,” he added in the same tweet.
Online platforms took unprecedented steps after the Capitol Hill attacks.
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) February 27, 2022
Surely Russian war #propaganda merits at least the same level of response.
Important coordinating call now with YouTube CEO @SusanWojcicki & Google CEO @sundarpichai together with @VeraJourova. pic.twitter.com/EIr7oTX2Fk
Since its invasion, the Russian state media has shown propaganda videos justifying its aggression on Ukraine. To control the narrative online, it has restricted Facebook and Google causing images and videos to load slower on Facebook and Messenger taking long to load and often failing to load for Russians.
Twitter has also remained slow in an effort by the Kremlin to censor dissidents while protecting state-run media. Russia has also proposed a new law that requires tech companies like Facebook, Google, and others to set up official representation in the country. The move is seen as an attempt to make regulation of these platforms easier for Russia’s political elite.
Reuters reports that only Apple and Spotify have complied with all three requirements ahead of the March deadline. Nick Clegg, head of Meta’s global affairs, denied turning off Facebook and Instagram in Russia citing such a move would “silence important expression at a crucial time.”
Meta’s effort to stop disinformation
Meta, parent of Facebook, is familiar with Russia’s ability to spread misinformation on its platform. After getting caught unaware of Russia’s disinformation efforts during the 2016 US Presidential election, Facebook has shored up its defence and it has now confirmed taking down a network run by people in Ukraine and Russia targeting Ukraine.
The social media giant has also established a special operations centre staffed by experts from across the company. These experts include native Russian and Ukrainian speakers and “are monitoring the platform around the clock.”
Ordinary Russians are using @Meta‘s apps to express themselves and organize for action. We want them to continue to make their voices heard, share what’s happening, and organize through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. pic.twitter.com/FjTovgslCe
— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 25, 2022
Facebook is also rolling out additional safety features in Ukraine that allow users to lock their Facebook profile, removing the ability to view and search friends lists, and additional tools on Messenger. To Russia’s displeasure, Meta is also expanding its third-party fact-checking capacity in Russia and Ukraine.
“We’re also providing more transparency around state-controlled media outlets, prohibiting ads from Russian state media and demonetizing their accounts,” the company says.
Our incident response team is actively monitoring the war in Ukraine and working around the clock, focusing on the safety and security of our employees, users, and customers.
— Google Europe (@googleeurope) February 25, 2022
I am deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. We’re doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harm’s way and joining all those calling for peace.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 25, 2022
On March 1st, Meta announced his plans to go a step further and restrict access to the Russian state media platforms – RT and Sputnik- across the European Union. This shouldn’t significantly cripple the monetisation of these two state media organisations and further shows how this war is being fought beyond arms and army. Meta’s decision was welcomed by Ukraine’s vice prime minister and he called on Google and YouTube to take similar actions.
We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.
— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 28, 2022
Meta is stepping up to shut down Russian lies. When will @YouTube? We are calling on @Google to deplatform Russian state media in the strongest possible terms. @susanwojcicki @sundarpichai
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 28, 2022
Both Google and YouTube have taken steps to limit Russian state-media from monetising on its platform but they have not gone as far as Meta in terms of their action. Apple CEO Tim Cook has tweeted in solidarity but the iPhone maker is yet to announce any concrete measures against Russian firms or its presence in Russia.
An information war
Russia is not only waging war against tech platforms but also against local media outlets. After state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik were impacted by EU sanctions, Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor warned local media against circulating what it called “false information about Moscow’s military operation”.
The country has also banned the use of words like “invasion”, “war” and “assault” to describe its attack on Ukraine. Even Yandex, Russia’s search engine, has begun warning users about unreliable information on the internet.
This is in stark contract to efforts by Tech Ukraine to push information primarily from authentic channels in Ukraine. Russian state media has been calling its invasion a “special operation” and claims the actions are meant to destroy Ukraine’s military capabilities and not occupy any territory.
As Russia engages in this aggressive stance towards Ukraine, the battle between the Kremlin and the big tech giants is only likely to intensify. For big tech giants, it would be a tough battle to depict the right picture without getting branded as news media.
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