Apple and Google are also taking the field in defense of Ukraine. The iPhone manufacturer has blocked the online sales of its devices on Russian soil and access to state media Russia Today and Sputnik on the iPhone App Store outside Putin's homeland. The Cupertino-based multinational also followed Google Maps in disabling real-time traffic updates on its mapping app of Ukraine, which some feared could be a tool for Russian military operations as it highlighted the busiest areas and at what time slots. .
Apple blocks sales of its products and some services in Russia
The appeal of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov to Tim Cook has not fallen into the forgotten that after a few days he will remove all Apple products from the market (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch) and they will no longer be available to the Russian people immediately. Furthermore, no further products will be sent to Russia, which is also difficult given that air and sea traffic are closed.
Also, apple has disabled the functioning of services such as Apple Maps need Apple Pay (which in any case had stopped working with Russian credit cards following the economic sanctions against Russia) and removed the applications of RT News need Sputnik News (Kremlin-related Russian news sites) from App Stores in countries outside Russia. He also said he would suspend some Apple Maps features in Ukraine as a precautionary measure for the safety of Ukrainians. According to RIA Novosti, the Russian news agency, some Russian home banking apps may stop working on Apple devices.
Google Maps removes locations in Ukraine to hinder Russia's military operations
The Google Maps service uses the geolocation of individual smartphones to determine how busy an area is at a given moment: powerful information for an army intending to attack the local population. However, Google guarantees the service to those who are in the area and use it to move step by step.
“As a precaution, we are removing user contributions such as photos, videos, reviews, commercial information, and all user-submitted places from Google Maps in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus since the invasion began, and are temporarily blocking posting of new changes. “said the Google spokesperson.
A decision that the tech giant took inspiration from the one taken by the Ukrainian highways a couple of days ago, when road signs were removed throughout the country to disorient the enemy in the area.
And that's not Google's only move since the start of the conflict. YouTube has disabled monetization for videos posted by Russian media or otherwise funded by Russia. The same type of company can no longer monetize even through the Google search engine.
Apple and Google: Big techs take a series of actions in response to the invasion
Also Meta (Facebook), YouTube e TikTok they had taken a stand by banning news sites from their platforms in Europe.
Another hard blow for young Russians who in a few days see their Apple products, Hollywood films, sports and a large part of the purchasing power of the Ruble cut off, which is why the country's ATMs have been stormed.
