Twitter & Facebook block Ads : Reaction to Ukraine war

The Russian attack on Ukraine is also having an impact on social media. The US media groups Twitter and Facebook are responding to Moscow's aggression by restricting their services.

The Facebook group Meta and the short message service Twitter are reacting to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine with restrictions on their social networks. They are in the process of preventing Russian state media from placing ads on the social network worldwide or earning money there, Facebook security chief Nathaniel Gleicher announced on Twitter.

Our top priority is keeping people on Twitter safe.

We’re actively monitoring for risks associated with the conflict in Ukraine, including identifying and disrupting attempts to amplify false and misleading information.

Here are the steps we’ve taken:

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 25, 2022

Twitter, on the other hand, is blocking ads in Russia and Ukraine until further notice. This is to ensure that important information on public safety is highlighted, it said. Advertising distracts from this.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Minister of Digitalization, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, addressed Apple CEO Tim Cook in a letter, calling on him to flank sanctions against Russia by blocking Apple services, including the app store. 

We’re aware that Twitter is being restricted for some people in Russia and are working to keep our service safe and accessible.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) February 26, 2022

The letter, circulated on Twitter, states: "We need their support - in 2022, modern technology is perhaps the best answer to the tanks, multiple rocket launchers (degrees) and missiles". He concluded, "We are sure that such actions will motivate the youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the shameful military aggression."

Experts on alert

In response to the conflict in Ukraine, a special operations center with experts has been set up in order to be able to react as quickly as possible, said Facebook security chief Gleicher. 

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and will continue to communicate our steps to protect people on our platform." Russia had partially restricted Facebook the day before. 

We’ve already noticed @Meta decisions on blocking Russian propagandists and media outlets. @nickclegg, thanks for your actions and this very first step in countering the bloody military attack against Ukraine. There is no place for war criminals in Metaverse. https://t.co/IbB0NmQD5A

— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 27, 2022

The communications supervisor Roskomnadzor in Moscow had accused the Facebook group of having violated "fundamental human rights and freedoms" and "rights and freedoms of Russian citizens" by blocking Russian media on the network.

Meanwhile, the German Funke media group registered Internet attacks on its websites. The live blog of the group's "Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" (WAZ), which contains news about the Russian attack on Ukraine, said on Friday evening: 

Ordinary Russians are using @Meta's apps to express themselves and organize for action. We want them to continue to make their voices heard, share what’s happening, and organize through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. pic.twitter.com/FjTovgslCe

— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 25, 2022

"The websites of the daily newspapers, magazines and reach portals of the Funke Media Group have been attacked in several waves by so-called bots since the morning." A bot is an automated piece of software designed to cause damage.

Evonik shuts down global image campaign

"True Leadership" was supposed to give specialty chemicals manufacturer Evonik great visibility around the world. In the wake of the events in Ukraine, however, the company has decided to run the global image campaign purely organically for the time being.

According to the plans of those responsible, the appearance should be medialized with high media pressure on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube. The promotional videos should be placed in the USA, China, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the DACH region.

"Under the impression of the global political situation in Ukraine, Evonik has decided to temporarily reduce the volume of the campaign and initially not to support it with media," it said in a statement. They have been working for a long time towards the start of the campaign, explains Evonik Brand CEO Markus Langer. "However, in the night from 23 to 24 February, world politics reported back. That's why we won't stop the campaign, but we will dim down in volume and initially use it purely organically."

True Leadership is about modern leadership and a participatory corporate culture – both ultimately leading to products that improve the lives of people around the world.

Evonik campaign "True Leadership" (2022)

KNSK is responsible for the creation of the campaign. For the implementation of the campaign film, the agency worked together with Fox Devil Films and director Michael Fueter. The content marketing concept for the campaign comes from the KNSK subsidiary Bissinger+. Die neue Vernunft, which is also part of the KNSK Group, is responsible for the strategic preparation.