THE CONFLICT Russia-Ukraine war: Kiev prepares a plan to transfer data to foreign servers According to press leaks, the government is aiming to migrate sensitive information to avoid compromise in the event of hacker attacks. Meanwhile, the stampede of tech companies from Russia continues: gaming giants Sony and Nintendo close their activities. Google is also discontinuing paid services on YouTube 10 Mar 2022 Patrizia Licata Journalist
Sony and Nintendo join the list of tech companies that have severed their trade relations with Russia after the attack on Ukraine. Sony's gaming division (PlayStation) has ceased the sale of its products in Russia, clarifying that the shipment and distribution of consoles and software in the country is suspended, including the new game Gran Turismo 7. The PlayStation Store will no longer be accessible for users in Russia. The same decision for Nintendo, which has indefinitely suspended deliveries to Russia citing difficulties along the logistics chain. The Japanese manufacturer of the Switch console has also decided to postpone the release of the military strategy game Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp "in light of recent world events". Sony's withdrawal is particularly relevant because, according to market analysts, it is the manufacturer of video game consoles with the largest presence in Russia. Index of topics • Russian run-of-the-mill gaming companies • YouTube discontinues paid features • Kiev ready to move data and servers abroad Escape from Russian gaming companies In recent days, other tech giants have not left the Russian market - and the bleeding continues. Among the companies that have left the country there are big techs such as Netflix, TikTok, Epic Games, Meta, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Paypal, but also McDonald's, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Starbucks. In particular, several video game companies have decided to sever ties with Russia. For example, Cd Projekt, producer of the science fiction game Cyberpunk 2077, and Electronic arts have said they will block all sales of games and content in Russia and Belarus. Microsoft has announced that it will stop all new sales of products and services in Russia, including consoles, software and subscriptions related to the Xbox console. Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, followed the same path, ceasing the sales of its games in Russia. YouTube discontinues paid features A similar decision comes from YouTube and Google Play Store, subsidiaries of the Alphabet group, which have suspended all paid services in Russia, including subscriptions, also following the bank payment difficulties created by Western sanctions. Google and YouTube had already stopped selling online advertising in Russia, following the example of Twitter and Snap. "We are continuing with the decisions made by extending the interruption of activities in Russia to all our features that are linked to monetization: YouTube premium, sponsorships, super chat and merchandising", the company said. As a result, YouTube creators will stop receiving revenue from these features for now. The restrictions apply only to users located in Russia. The free apps of the Google play store remain accessible to Russian users. Kiev ready to move data and servers abroad Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is preparing all necessary actions in case it is forced to move its data and servers abroad. This measure would be taken if Russian military forces extended their control over the country and sensitive government data and documents were at risk, Victor Zhora, deputy director of cybersecurity services of Ukraine (State Service of special communications and information protection). Kiev has already begun transporting equipment and backups to safer areas of the country beyond the reach of the Russian invasion forces. “Plan A” remains to guarantee protection of sensitive data within national borders. But Plan B could provide for a transfer abroad, preferably to a European country.
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