An Open Letter from Ukrainians in Ireland to Rick Kelley, Head of Meta Ireland and Adaire Fox-Martin, Head of Google Ireland
CC: Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta Inc, and Kent Walker, President, Global Affairs & Chief Legal Officer at Google
We are writing to you as Ukranians living and working in Ireland to ask you to remove Putin’s propaganda from your platforms before it costs more lives.
Russian state backed media is filling Ukrainian social media with lies, rumors and hate speech. We are being told to leave our homes, running onto the street to be met with troops and false reports of cities falling. It is trying to make vulnerable people believe many horrors to force their surrender.
This propaganda knows no borders. Around the world it is distracting from the horror of Russia’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians and trying to divide the international response. The spirit of our and every nation is hurt by Russian disinformation operations.
It hurts us to know that your offices, so close to our homes, are providing a platform for Kremlin backed hate.
Please act now and put the lives of the Ukrainian people before profit.
About this campaign
Above is an open letter written by Ukrainian people in Ireland, expressing what they need in this difficult time.
Uplift is proud to support this call from the Ukranians in Ireland, here is a bit more about the campaign and why it matters.
For years, the Russia state has invested significant resources in creating a web of influence online to disseminate Kremlin-backed falsehoods and lies.
Russian backed outlets are publishing videos, reports and memes to provide justification for its attacks, dehumanise the Ukrainian people and distract from its attacks on civilians.
All of this content is making money for Facebook, Google, Twitter and TikTok. Every minute that is watched online is turned into dollars through grabbing more and more of our attention that is sold to advertisers.
Some progress has been announced but it is not enough. All Russian backed accounts must be removed everywhere.
Ireland is playing host to the European HQ for Google / Youtube and Facebook but we will not let that turn us into a home for hate.
