Unfriending Russia

Hey all, it’s Kurt Wagner in San Francisco. Social Media companies are cracking down on Putin. But first...Today’s top tech news: So long, A [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey all, it’s Kurt Wagner in San Francisco. Social Media companies are cracking down on Putin. But first... Today’s top tech news: - So long, [Amazon 4-Star]( - Google tells employees to [come back to the office]( in April - Apple will kick off potentially it’s [biggest year of product releases ever]( on March 8 Russia gets blocked and reported Social media platforms acted in unison this past week to cut off Vladimir Putin’s political propaganda from other parts of the world. Services like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube have restricted posts and accounts run by Russian state media at the urging of European governments. Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc. blocked advertising from Russian-backed media, Twitter Inc. stopped showing ads in Russia at all and Snap Inc. blocked ads from Russian businesses entirely. Collectively, the American companies have taken a firm stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and they’ve done so quickly. “The war is Ukraine is devastating,” tweeted Facebook’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, who added that the company has been in touch with Ukrainian government officials about how it can help. To anyone who has followed social media’s complicated history around policy decisions, the past week has offered a refreshing change. Companies have acted quickly, and for the most part, have conveyed their decisions clearly. Meta executives even hosted impromptu media calls with updates explaining what actions the company has been taking. One reason things are moving quickly is these companies now have years of experience dealing with political crisis. In the past 18 months alone there was a contentious U.S. election, an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol encouraged by a sitting president, and a Covid-19 vaccine rollout that super-charged America’s partisan culture wars. Many of the things that social companies have implemented this week – like labeling posts that link to Russian-backed media – were features they’d already built for prior uses. The companies stopped short of blocking Russians’ access to their platforms, [arguing that]( they represent an important source of independent information. But the real reason executives seem to be moving so quickly and decisively is that these social networks have almost nothing to gain by waiting. Compared with most of the policy decisions they have to make, tamping down on state messaging from Vladimir Putin’s Moscow is not a difficult stance to get behind. In the U.S., Russia’s invasion has been almost universally denounced by elected officials. “The current moment has eliminated many barriers for tech companies to take action,” says Shelby Grossman, a research scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory. “The platforms are able to take big steps limiting access to Russian state media with little fear of backlash outside of Russia.” Joshua Tucker, a professor at New York University who runs the school’s Center for the Advanced Study of Russia and is also co-director for its Center for Social Media and Politics, agrees, pointing out that bipartisan opposition to the war in the U.S. means that domestic tech companies have no reason to hold back. “It might be more dangerous for [social media companies] not to take decisive action,” he says. On the surface, it feels a bit like tech companies are turning a policy corner. It’s clear that they have the experience, and in many cases the technology, to address a fast-paced political crisis. But I’m not yet convinced this means a whole lot going forward. Most policy and political issues these companies face are still polarizing – topics like policing user speech and handling political misinformation. Unlike restricting Russian state propaganda, there won’t be an easy answer. —[Kurt Wagner](mailto:kwagner71@bloomberg.net) If you read one thing Facebook can make us lonelier. The company that wants to connect the world is making us feel further apart, [according to its own researchers](. It’s a problem the social giant has been trying to address for years.   What else you need to know TikTok is being targeted by a group of states with a probe over the platform’s [marketing to children](. Electronic Arts will remove Russian teams from video game sports franchises including its [FIFA and NHL games](. Epic Games is acquiring [online music store Bandcamp](, part of its vision to build out a marketplace ecosystem for creators across games, music and technology. What to watch: The Justice Department has a [new taskforce]( that will go after Russian oligarchs and cyber thieves alike. Follow Us More from Bloomberg Dig gadgets or video games? [Sign up for Power On]( to get Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more in your inbox on Sundays. [Sign up for Game On]( to go deep inside the video game business, delivered on Fridays. Why not try both? Like Fully Charged? | [Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com](, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Fully Charged newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](