The Ukrainian tech community is showing signs of resilience as Russia invades the country and big tech giants battle the tension caused by propaganda. As Russia began building its military might in Belarus and at a shared border with Ukraine, the whole scene played out for the world on TikTok.
Videos of Russian troops massing on Ukraine‘s borders were being shared widely on TikTok last week, showing how information is now disseminated through tech platforms and not mainstream media channels. However, platforms like Facebook and Google also had to battle Russian propaganda.
Tech platforms have had a rough few years battling Russian disinformation on their platform. Experts have been hard at work debunking narratives spread on platforms like Facebook, Telegram, and elsewhere about Western aggression and even supposed violence by Ukrainian forces.
Even US President Joe Biden mentioned Russia pushing “false-flag events” as a pretext for the invasion. Now, that Russian forces have launched a military assualt on Ukraine by crossing its borders and bombing targets near big cities, the country’s tech community is gearing up to stand with Ukraine. Even tech companies in the US and other countries who have relied on Ukraine as a source of cheap and reliable tech talent are trying to evacuate their employees and keep services online.
Tech community is one of the pillars of Ukraine’s resistance
TechUkraine, an organisation with a European core but global outlook, is leading the charge on dissemination of verified information. In the face of disinformation and propaganda on tech platforms, TechUkraine is encouraging people to take two steps to help Ukraine “stand against Russian aggression”.
Nataly Veremeeva, TechUkraine’s Director:
“We in Ukraine already got used to living under some pressure of an ongoing war, which didn’t start now. It has already been in Ukraine since 2014, but today it entered in its open phase”
“Tech community, being an active part of the society, consisting of thousands of educated people with a global outlook, is one of the pillars of Ukraine’s resistance. Millions of hryvnias were donated to support the army. The Ukrainian tech entrepreneurs have helped spread the world to the global community and media, raise awareness, and help in diplomatic and military negotiations,” she says.
“We know we are fighting for our country, for our freedom to build our future according to global values. And there is no way back.
Read more via Silicon Canals – European Technology News
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- Come Back Alive is one of the largest charitable foundations that supports Ukrainian soldiers, founded by the IT specialist Vitaliy Deynega. The organization collected more than 210 million UAH (more than $7M) in 2014. According to Na chasi, the Patreon page Come Back Alive is in the top ten projects by the number of financial donations.
- Army SOS, which develops drones;
- Everybody Can, an organization that supports internally displaced people;
- Help on the Ministry of Defense website.