Spotify has become the latest major tech company to join in solidarity with other global businesses to take a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The streaming service has closed its offices in Russia indefinitely and removed all RT and Sputnik content on its platform.

However, the company fell short of disabling its services in Russia, arguing in an emailed statement to various media outlets yesterday (2 March) that it is “critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to allow for the global flow of information”.

Spotify is one of the few companies that have complied with a new law in Russia that requires foreign social media companies with more than 500,000 daily users to establish local offices in the country, having opened its first office in Moscow last month. It first launched its services in Russia and Ukraine in 2020.

Also suspending operations in Russia are major multinational software companies Oracle and SAP. Both companies were contacted by Ukraine’s vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who has been championing the country’s fight against Russia from the digital side of things.

Oracle replied to a tweet by Fedorov in which it confirmed that it was suspending all operations in Russia “on behalf of Oracle’s 150,000 employees around the world and in support of both the elected government of Ukraine and for the people of Ukraine”.

SAP made the same move in a statement, adding that it was also pausing all sales of SAP services and products in Russia. It has also donated €1m in humanitarian support to Ukraine and is working with organisations to offer its technology to support civilians.

In-app donations and free cross-border rides

Donations and measures alike have also been pouring in from other major tech companies that have so far remained silent, such as Uber and Revolut.

Uber announced yesterday that it is adding an in-app donation feature for users in the US to make donations to the International Rescue Committee, with plans to expand the feature in other countries “in the coming days”. Uber said it will match these donations up to $1m.

The global taxi hire company also vowed to donate an additional $500,000 to the Red Cross and the UN World Food Programme to help Ukrainian civilians in distress.

Perhaps most notably, Uber is also providing unlimited free cross-border trips between Ukraine and Polish cities to help support the movement of refugees and those helping them.

Revolut boasted great success with its own in-app donation feature last week, open to select countries in Europe and Singapore, which saw more than £1m raised in less than 24 hours.

The fintech has now added 17 new European countries to that list – with a promise match every donation made to the Red Cross in the seven days, up to £1.5m.

“For every pound or euro or złoty or franc donated by a Revolut customer to the appeal, Revolut will donate the same again,” Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky, who is of Ukrainian heritage himself, wrote in a letter posted on the company website.

Entertainment and censorship

Fedorov’s next target is a group of global gaming companies with significant operations in Russia, including Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation.

In a series of tweets, he requested gaming companies to “temporarily block all Russian and Belarussian accounts”, temporarily stop them from participating in all international e-sports events and cancel all international events being held in the two countries.

Fedorov also urged game developers such as Riot Games, EA, Ubisoft, Gameloft and Wargaming to shut their offices in Russia.

EA has already announced it is removing all Russian teams from its FIFA football games “in line with our partners at FIFA and UEFA”. It is also removing both the Russian and Belarussian national teams from its NHL 22 hockey game.

Meanwhile, Wikipedia has fallen in some trouble with censorship authorities in Russia after one of its articles on the Russian invasion of Ukraine was accused of having inaccurate information on Russian soldier and Ukrainian civilian casualties by the country’s federal censorship arm.

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