UKRAINE has called on Sony and Xbox to temporarily ban its sales and gamers’ accounts in Russia and Belarus.
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov asked Xbox and PlayStation in a tweet early Wednesday to exit the Russian market.
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“You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now. Russia declared war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world,” the tweet read.
Attached to the tweet was an official statement that asked both PlayStation and Xbox to “temporarily block all Russian and Belarusian accounts,” as well as stop the participation of Russian and Belarusian gamers in any esports.
Fedorov further asked the companies to cancel any international events they were planning to hold in Russia and Belarus.
The Vice Prime Minister concluded his statement by saying that he was sure these actions would “motivate the citizens of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.”
While Xbox and PlayStation have not yet responded publicly to the request, Xbox’s parent company Microsoft has been assisting Ukraine against cyberattacks from Russia.
In a separate tweet earlier today, Federov also called on Riot Games, EA, Ubisoft, Gameloft, and Wargaming to close their operations in Russia.
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“There’s no place for aggressor on the global technological map,” Federov wrote.
Both Ubisoft and Wargaming recently shared steps they would take to aid and support their hundreds of Ukrainian and Ukraine-based developers, including providing them with alternative housing, early salaries, and extra funds for travel and relocation.
Fedorov has been praised as of late for his rallying of support from a multitude of technology corporations around the world.
“His ability to galvanize international opinion and opinion at the tech companies is extraordinary,” said Emerson Brooking, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, per The Washington Post.
“Traditionally, public pressure has only been applied by the United States, and other countries around the world have really struggled,” Brooking added.
Most recently, tech companies like Apple announced they’re no longer selling their products in Russia as a direct response to the nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
Other tech companies such as Google and Meta have prohibited access to Russian media outlets such as RT and Sputnik news.
Microsoft has also removed RT from its Windows app store globally and will no longer show ads from Russian state-sponsored media, according to Reuters.
“(We) will make ongoing adjustments to strengthen our detection and disruption mechanisms to avoid the spread of disinformation and promote instead independent and trusted content,” Microsoft said in a blog.
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In other news, the creators of a chilling new horror game say that the title is so disturbing they’ve been forced to censor it on PlayStation.
Apple has announced updates to AirTags following claims that the coin-sized tracking devices are being used to stalk people.
And TikTok has announced new rules, banning users who deadname or misgender others.
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