Major Tech Companies Pulling Out of Russia Following the Invasion of Ukraine

By Jane Muia

Various companies from around the world have now halted business with Russia, while others have curtailed operations with the country, condemning its invasion of Ukraine.

Over one million Ukrainians have now fled to the neighboring countries and others displaced following the war. The impacts of the Russia- Ukraine tension have brought in a colossal hit in both Russia’s and Ukraine’s economies.

As the Russian aggression of Ukraine continues, tech firms like Google, Apple, and Meta have announced the suspension of services in Russia.

Ukraine’s vice prime minister and minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov had reached out to the tech CEOs to cancel their services in Russia

Here are major tech companies that have suspended services in Russia:

Apple

Apple took a big move in expressing its support for Ukraine by pausing product sales in Russia and has also turned off traffic and live incidents features in Apple Maps in Ukraine for the safety of Ukrainians. The tech company also halted other media services like RT News and Sputnik News from the app store outside Russia. This move comes after Ukraine’s digital transformation minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote to Apple chief executive Tim Cook, urging the firm to halt the supply of their products and services as well as blocking access to App Store.

“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. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region,’’ Apple said in a statement.

Google

In an official statement, Google disclosed that it has pulled RT News and Sputnik from the play store. YouTube also pulled down videos and channels involved in misinformation.

Meta

Meta placed restrictions on ads from Russian State-controlled media and terminated their accounts. The Russian Government is now accusing Meta of restricting Russian media and said it would limit its citizens from accessing social media platforms.

Twitter

The Head of Site integrity at Twitter Yoel Roth said that measures have been put to prevent the spread of misinformation on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He placed a warning on tweets with links to the Russian military movement.

As people look for credible information on Twitter regarding the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, we understand and take our role seriously. Our product should make it easy to understand who is behind the content you see and what their motivations and intentions are,’’ Yoel said.

Other tech companies that suspended operations in Russia include Intel and AMD, Oracle and SAP among others.