The effort follows similar bans for Facebook and Instagram earlier this year
All sorts of companies have stepped up to assist in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Google among the leading tech companies to do so. From restricting data on Maps in order to prevent locations from being given away to shutting down Russian YouTube channels to stop propaganda efforts, there’s been no shortage of actions taken by the search giant this year. Today, pro-Russian forces announced their intention to block Google in specific Ukrainian regions, following similar actions taken against Meta a few months ago.
As reported by The Guardian, Denis Pushilin, who commands the occupied Donetsk region under the “Donetsk People’s Republic,” announced his plan to ban Google’s search engine, claiming the company is participating in promoting “terrorism and violence” against Russians (via The Verge). It’s a move that will also affect the Luhansk region, similarly held as the Luhansk People’s Republic.
According to Pushilin, Google has been acting on orders from the US government, advocating for acts of violence against Russians and the population of Donbas. These pro-Russian forces intend to block Google for what the group sees as potential terrorism until the company “stops pursuing its criminal policy and returns to the mainstream of law, morality, and common sense.”
This ban is far from the first Russia has implemented against tech giants in the US. Both Facebook and Instagram were banned earlier this year in the country, with Russian-controlled areas in Ukraine following suit months later. The DPR and LPR have both existed since 2014, though Russia withheld formal recognition until this year, following its invasion of the country.
We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will update our coverage when we hear back.
