Payment company Paypal Holdings, Inc is suspending its services in Russia. The company’s spokesperson added that Paypal will ‘continue work to process customer withdraw[al]s for a period of time, ensuring that account balances are dispersed in line with applicable laws and regulations’, as reported by CNBC.
Ukraine conflict
Fake news law passed in Russia
As previously announced, the Russian president has signed a law punishing anyone who knowingly spreads fake news with up to 15 years in prison, effective 5 March.
The law will impose penalties on anyone who tries to discredit the Russian Armed Forces and was enacted in reaction to the unprecedented information war waged against Russia, as stated by the government.
EFE, RAI, BBC, CNN, CBS, and Bloomberg suspend operations in Russia
A number of global media companies such as CNN, Bloomberg News, BBC, ABC, CBS News, CBC/Radio-Canada, EFE, and RAI will cease operations in Russia. The media outlets have reportedly made such decisions because Russia adopted a new law penalising those who spread fake news with up to 15 years in prison.
These reports were backed by Bloomberg’s Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait, who stated ‘the change to the criminal code, which seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal purely by association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of normal journalism inside the country’.
Russia blocks Facebook and Twitter
Russian telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor blocked Facebook on 4 March. The regulator claimed that Facebook restricted access to the accounts of the RIA Novosti news agency, Sputnik, Russia Today, and other Russian media. Roskmnadzor also blocked Twitter in Russia, based on the Prosecutor General’s Office demand on 24 February, wherein media outlets were ordered to remove reports describing the attack on Ukraine as an ‘invasion, assault or declaration of war.’
Russia threatens to block access to Wikipedia
Russian telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor sent a notice to Wikimedia ‘about the need to remove false information concerning the special military operation in Ukraine based on demand from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office’. Roskomnadzor also warned that measures might be taken to restrict access to Wikipedia on the territory of the Russian Federation.According to Wikimedia’s translation of Roskomnadzor’s notice, the Russian agency demanded that Wikimedia Russia address users’ edits concerning ‘information about numerous casualties among the military personnel of the Russian Federation, as well as the civilian population of Ukraine, including number of children,’ as well as ‘the need to withdraw funds from accounts in banks of the Russian Federation in connection with the sanctions imposed by foreign states’.
Nvidia, Samsung, Oracle, and Dell shutting down their operations in Russia
Nvidia, Samsung, Oracle, and Dell have announced they are shutting down operations in Russia. The companies are the latest Big-Tech companies headquartered in the USA that are retreating from Russia in response to the Ukrainian conflict.
Intel suspends product shipments to Russia, Belarus
Intel Corporation has confirmed that it will suspend all shipments to Russia and Belarus due to sanctions imposed by its government. Intel is headquartered in the USA.
‘We are working to support all of our employees through this difficult situation, especially those with close ties to this region,’ Intel added.
Ukraine to join NATO cyber defence centre as a contributing participant
Ukraine will join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) as a contributing participant (a non-Nato member), after a unanimous vote by NATO member states, confirmed the CCDCOE in a statement. Experts believe this might aid Ukraine in fighting off cyberthreats against the country.
According to Col. Jaak Tarien, director of the CCDCOE, Ukraine’s participation will be mutually beneficial. Ukraine’s experience would give firsthand information about a varied spectrum of cyberthreats for use in research, exercises, and training.
Roscosmos: Russia’s Energia Rocket and Space Corporation suffers DDoS attack
A DDoS attack on the website of Russia’s Energia Rocket and Space Corporation from foreign servers, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos stated. According to Roscosmos, these cyberattacks originated in various Western countries, primarily the USA, Canada, and Sweden. The press service said that ‘All information about this incident will be forwarded to the relevant agencies, which will also identify the owner of the bot network which was used to stage the attack on the corporation’s website. They will identify the beneficiary of this action as well.’
Roskomnadzor blocks websites of Voice of America, BBC, DW and other media outlets over fake news
Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that it has banned a number of foreign media outlets over fake news about events in Ukraine.
According to Roskomnadzor’s statement, the media outlets were banner justified the measures by citing the following: ‘the purposeful and systematic publishing of materials containing false information about the essence of the special military operation in Ukrainian territory, its form, methods of military operations (attacks on the civilian population, strikes on civilian infrastructure elements), and the number of casualties in the Russian Armed Forces and the civilian population.’
The ban affects the Voice of America, BBC, DW, Meduza, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.