Social media networks Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google are imposing measures on Russian state media content.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is reviewing requests from several countries to completely restrict Russian official media information on its platforms. ‘A number of Russian official media stations have now been completely barred from transmitting into Ukraine,’ stated Meta’s head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher.
Twitter announced that any link shared by a user to a Russian state-media organisation’s website will automatically receive a label warning viewers that the tweet ‘links to a Russia state-affiliated media website’. Twitter also plans to ‘reduce the visibility and amplification of this content site-wide, no matter who it comes from,’ said Twitter spokesperson Trenton Kennedy.
YouTube has begun blocking Russian state media within Ukraine. YouTube also stated that it will significantly limit recommendations for Russian state media. Google and Google owned Youtube will no longer allow Russian state media stations to display adverts, as reported by CNN Business.
Ukraine requested that the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) – a multistakeholder body that manages global internet domains and resources – take measures in response to the Russian operation in Ukraine.
Ukraine requested that ICANN remove Russia from the internet. More specifically, in the letter from Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, to Goran Marby, President and CEO of ICANN Ukraine requested that ICANN (quote):
- Revoke, permanently or temporarily, the domains ‘.ru’, ‘.рф and ‘.su’. This list is not exhaustive and may also include other domains issued in the Russian Federation.
- Contribute to the revoking for SSL certificates for the abovementioned domains.
- Shut down DNS root servers situated in the Russian Federation, namely:
- Saint Petersburg, RU (IPv4 199.7.83.42)
- Moscow, RU (IPv4 199.7.83.42, 3 instances)
The Ukrainian representative announced a similar request to RIPE NCC, the technical organisation that manages the assignment of IP addresses in the broader European region, asking them to withdraw the right of all Russian members of RIPE to use any IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
Until now, neither ICANN nor the US Department of Commerce (since 2015) have revoked any country domain names during conflicts or wars, such as those in Afghanistan, Iraq, ex-YU, Libya, and Sudan.
A report from RBC TV claims that two of the largest US semiconductor manufacturers, Intel and AMD, will stop supplying chips to Russia after 3 March, in compliance with the recent US restrictions on technology exports to Russia. The new export restrictions will primarily target military and dual-purpose chips. This means that sales of most consumer-focused chips, such as AMD’s Ryzen and Intel’s Core CPUs, are unlikely to be affected.
Google has temporarily disabled Google Maps features that provide live traffic data in Ukraine, the company confirmed for VICE World News. The company stated that it has taken this step for the safety of local communities following consultations with sources including regional authorities. However, the company declined to comment on what prompted the action, and whether similar actions have been taken during conflicts in the past.
According to a news report, following the invasion efforts by Russia on Ukraine which started just before midnight on Wednesday 23 February 2022, many civil society groups are worried about a possibility of direct attacks on the country’s internet infrastructure which would potentially limit information access on what is happening in Ukraine. Already, according to the report, internet connectivity has been reduced in some parts of the country with major blackouts centred around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Civil society organizations especially those championing human rights view the presence of reliable internet access as a means of monitoring and getting timely information from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government encouraged all interested parties to make cryptocurrency donations to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Digital Ministry clarified that the latest call for donations is to ‘help Ukraine armed forces’, but did not elaborate how the money would be spent.
Twitter revealed in a recent post that Russia has put limitations on Twitter in certain parts of the country. In a tweet, the company said ‘We’re aware that Twitter is being restricted for some people in Russia and are working to keep our services safe and accessible.’ Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported the total or near-total restriction of Twitter in Russia.
Ukraine’s vice prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, announced the formation of an IT army and asked hackers to help protect key infrastructure and conduct cyber spying missions against Russian troops, in a tweet dated February 26, 2022.
‘There will be tasks for everyone. We continue to fight on the cyber front. The first task is on the channel for cyber specialists’. Mykhailo Fedorov also Tweeted.
Along with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of war on Thursday, a network of pro-Kremlin propaganda Telegram channels started spreading disinformation online, US-based Foreign Policy reported. Within minutes of explosions being reported in Donetsk, Odessa, and Kyiv, several Telegram channels known for spreading pro-Russian propaganda supplied details, images, and video of the war in real time, in Russian, English, Spanish, and French. This prompted the Ukrainian government’s anti-disinformation body to issue a statement, referring to the work of those channels as ‘information terrorism’. It is not clear if these channels are operated by Russia or are merely ideologically close.
The Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, posted on Twitter, addresses of official cryptocurrency wallets the Ukrainian government will manage. Listed wallets are for bitcoin, ether and tether cryptocurrencies.
Earlier in 2021, Ukraine adopted a law that puts a legal framework on cryptocurrencies and digital assets, so government can legally obtain and control digital assets
This came after a series of reports that crypto-founding campaigns were being used for scams and deceiving users, during the first two days of conflict.
