UNITED States tech giants are under intense pressure to pick a side regarding Ukraine’s invasion, at once facing calls to stand against Moscow’s internationally condemned war but also Kremlin retribution for resistance.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have a unique power because of their global reach and ubiquity, but are profit-motivated companies, so a stridently principled stand can be bad for business.

Since Russia attacked its neighbor Ukraine this week, the besieged nation has urged firms from Apple to Google and Netflix to cut off the attacker, while Facebook said its service is curbed for refusing to bend to Kremlin demands.

Twitter, which faced fines and slower service over government orders to remove certain content last year, said its network is “being restricted for some people in Russia”.

“Western companies have provided an online space for Russians to get information about the atrocities their government is committing in Ukraine,” tweeted Alina Polyakova, president and CEO of the Centre for European Policy Analysis.

“The Kremlin is moving aggressively to hide the truth.”

Some of the companies have taken measured steps. For example, Facebook’s parent Meta and YouTube have both announced restricting Russian state-run media’s ability to earn money on their platforms.

“We are pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetise on YouTube, including Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions,” said a company statement.

“In response to a government request, we have restricted access to RT and a number of other channels in Ukraine,” it added, referring to Russian state-run TV.

‘Spreading misinformation’

Ukraine’s defiant government, which has urged its people to battle Russian forces, has asked for help from all quarters, including Apple CEO Tim Cook.

“I appeal to you… to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to the Apple Store!” wrote Ukraine’s Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a letter posted to Twitter on Friday.

Cook, tweeting a day before, wrote that he is “deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine” and that the company will be supporting local humanitarian efforts.

Big tech companies have struggled with how to deal with authoritarian governments, including Russia, where Apple and Google complied with government orders to remove an opposition app and faced outrage last year.

As the crisis in Ukraine escalates, tech companies have been accused of not doing all they can to stifle dangerous misinformation regarding the invasion.

“Your platforms continue to be key vectors for malign actors – including, notably, those affiliated with the Russian government – to not only spread disinformation, but profit from it,” wrote US Senator Mark Warner wrote to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent Alphabet, on Friday.

Warner, who also sent letters to Meta, Reddit, Telegram, TikTok and Twitter, went on to accuse YouTube of continuing “to monetise the content of prominent influence actors… publicly connected to Russian influence campaigns”.

Tech companies have long vaunted themselves as defenders of free speech and democratic values, yet have been criticised for reaping billions in advertising revenue on platforms that can have a harmful impact on users.

The invasion comes at a time when the dominant social media platform, Facebook, has been hit by a historic drop in its value due to worries over a mix of factors, like pressure on its key ad business and slowing growth.

But experts urged a principled stand, especially in a case freighted with the gravity of Ukraine’s invasion.

“It is appropriate for American companies to pick sides in geopolitical conflicts, and this should be an easy call,” tweeted Alex Stamos, a former chief security officer at Facebook, on Friday.

Ex-Facebook worker Brian Fishman echoed that sentiment in a tweet: “Don’t let humanity’s worst use your tools.” – AFP, February 27, 2022.