Social media fuels the new “fog of war” in Ukraine’s conflict
Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va. ), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on Twitter and Meta to “take a stronger stance” against Russia-related data operations. He warned that as the invasion progresses, “we can expect to see an escalation in Russia’s use of overt and covert media to sow confusion about the clash and publicize disinformation narratives that weaken the global reaction to those illegal acts. “In a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, he criticized the ability of Russian state media sites RT, Sputnik and Tass to monetize their posts through Google’s advertising service and YouTube.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, users called on their fans to denounce a YouTube channel with more than 22,000 fans who shared videos that gave the impression of revealing the movements of Ukrainian troops.
YouTube announced on Saturday that it would prevent some Russian channels from monetizing its content.
“We are postponing the ability of several channels to monetize on YouTube, adding several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions,” YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo told The Post. “We will particularly restrict recommendations to those channels. And in reaction At the request of the government, we limited access to RT and several other channels in Ukraine. We will continue to monitor further progress and can take additional action. “
On Google Maps, followed through the invasion of Ukraine
“There is a growing sense that they have an ethical legal responsibility for their sites not to be operated in times of crisis,” said Karen Kornbluh, director of the Initiative for Digital Innovation and Democracy at the German Marshall Fund, a think tank. The Russian manual is transparent, and corporations are under pressure not to wait to act against fake accounts or malicious influence activities until they are used to interfere with humanitarian aid or inflame the conflict. “
When President Biden announced sanctions against Russia on Thursday over high-tech imports, he said they would “compromise” Russia’s “ability to compete in a twenty-first-century high-tech economy. “But the sanctions were largely aimed at semiconductors. and other high-tech equipment that benefits Russia’s defense sector. According to a statement from the Commerce Department, customer communication devices are largely exempt.
Computer chip begins halting deliveries to Russia in reaction to U. S. sanctions. USA
But lawmakers, journalists, technologists and human rights advocates are now pushing technology to act more aggressively.
Social media platforms in particular have come under scrutiny for their role in selling Russian state media.
In a letter to Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google’s parent company Alphabet, which also owns YouTube, Warner accused the platforms of profiting from “misinformation. “Clash of RT, Sputnik and Tass, all Russian state media. He also wrote that Google’s advertising network supports Russian state media by running classified classified ads on Sputnik and Tass. He said classified ads from “unintentional” brands like Best Buy, Allbirds and Progressive were displayed through Google on those outlets’ web pages. These companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Others called for RT and its affiliates to be banned from major social media sites, and questioned why RT’s editor-in-chief allowed lies to be spread on Twitter. Twitter tags the accounts of state media organizations and their top executives, and does not allow state media to pay to advertise tweets.
“It’s fitting for U. S. corporations to decide which sides in geopolitical conflicts, and it will be a simple choice,” tweeted Alex Stamos, Facebook’s former director of security and now director of Stanford’s Internet Observatory.
In the Wake of Ukraine’s Invasion, Russia’s Cyberattacks May Simply Go Global
On Friday, Twitter tweeted that it “actively monitors” Ukraine-related dangers and temporarily suspended classified ads in Russia and Ukraine to make sure classified ads don’t damage key security information.
Cameron Njaa, a Reddit spokesman, who also named through Warner in his call for greater awareness of Russian propaganda, said the company “extends resources” to moderators in “affected areas” and works intensively with governments and other platforms to “stay informed of any malicious or inauthentic activity.
On Friday night, Meta announced it would ban Russian state media from running classified ads or monetizing its platform anywhere in the world, and said it would continue to apply fact-checking tags to Russian state media publications. Earlier in the day, Nick Clegg, Meta’s head of global affairs, tweeted that the Russian government had limited the company’s use after Facebook tagged and verified posts from four state media outlets. Clegg said the Russian government ordered the company to avoid fact-checking and labeling, but he refused. .
“Ordinary Russians use Meta apps to express themselves and organize for action,” Clegg tweeted. “We need them to continue to make their voices heard, share what’s happening and organize Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. “
In a message posted the same day on Telegram, the Russian government showed that it had taken steps to partially limit Facebook, in the form of a slowdown in traffic to the site. The censorship accused the company of limiting 4 Russian media outlets.
Alphabet, TikTok and Telegram responded to requests for comment.
Tech companies have bowed in the past to pressure from Russia’s web censor. In September, Apple and Google removed an opposition voting app from their app outlets at the start of voting in the country’s parliamentary elections, after Russia’s censorship firm accused the companies. to interfere in the political affairs of the country. The firm has threatened fines and prosecution of imaginable thieves.
Internet freedom advocates have warned that generation platforms are an indispensable source of independent data for Russians and that limiting oneself to those platforms can leave others alone with state propaganda inciting war with Ukraine.
“Big tech corporations have a duty to their Ukrainian and Russian users to respect their rights to freedom of expression and information, especially in times of war and political crisis,” said Natalia Krapiva, a generation legal adviser at Access Now, a nonprofit that advocates for web freedom.
But he said tech corporations still want to take precautions to make sure their platforms are abused.
“However, they also have a duty to protect their users and to identify and respond to any misinformation that may lead to violence and abuse,” he said.
The latest: Ukrainian forces control Kiev amid fierce fighting as the Russian advance slows in the face of assaults by the defiant Ukrainian army. On Saturday, President Biden legalized another $350 million in defense assistance for Ukraine.
Maps: Russia’s attack on Ukraine has expanded with moves and attacks on the country. Here we stick to the invasion.
The invasion: Photos and videos show what it looks like on the ground. More than 150,000 refugees have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries.
The answer: Western countries have announced widespread sanctions against Russian banks, companies and officials, President Vladimir Putin said. Some European countries have proposed economic sanctions to isolate Russia from SWIFT, a move seen as a “financial nuclear weapon. “
How we got here: The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is marked across land borders and shaped through strategic influence. These four maps show the deep roots of the conflict and the existing situation.
Read our full russia-ukraine crisis.
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