What you need to know
- Google's European team outlines its response to the Ukraine invasion.
- Google says it has increased security measures in Ukraine to protect against online threats.
- YouTube is surfacing content from trusted news sources, removing videos and ads that promote misinformation.
- Google is also providing $2 million in donated ads to aid with resources.
Amid the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the war in Ukraine, Google's European team has outlined ways that it is helping keep users and employees safe.
The company posted a series of tweets on Friday highlighting the various steps it's taking to provide accurate information and help prevent cyber attacks.
Our threat intel teams continue to look out for and disrupt disinfo campaigns, hacking, and financially motivated abuse, and are working with other companies and relevant government bodies to address these threats.Our threat intel teams continue to look out for and disrupt disinfo campaigns, hacking, and financially motivated abuse, and are working with other companies and relevant government bodies to address these threats.— Google Europe (@googleeurope) February 25, 2022February 25, 2022
Google has "increased account security protections for people in the region," which includes features like the Advanced Protection Program which users can enable to help keep their information safe from cyber threats.
Other protections are also put in place, including Google Safe Browsing, Project Shield, and VirusTotal, to analyze and protect against malware, phishing, and DDoS attacks.
Google is also putting its energy towards fighting misinformation surrounding the events in Ukraine by "prominently surfacing videos from trusted news sources" and removing those that violate the company's policies, as well as blocking certain ads. According to Google, it has already removed hundreds of thousands of videos over the last few days.
In its efforts to support those that may be affected by the events, Google has launched an employee giving campaign that will aid various organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Google will match employee contributions made through Google.org in addition to providing $2 million in donated ads to help those affected find the resources they need.
This comes just a day after Google employees in Ukraine were reportedly told in a memo to "shelter in place" and "limit all movement."
