Snap announced on Tuesday it will end all advertising in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine as the conflict escalates in the region.
The Santa Monica-based company is also stopping ad sales to “Russian and Belarusian entities.” However, halting sales in those markets will not impact Snap’s business, and it continues to operate the app in those countries.
“We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian team members and the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their lives and for their freedom,” the company said in a release. “War is a scourge on our collective humanity, and in this case, it is a direct threat to many of our team members and their families. We are praying for their safety and for peace.”
As public anger grows and more countries announce sanctions against Russia following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, more companies are suspending business and partnerships with Russian companies and individuals.
Co-founders Bobby Murphy, Even Spiegel and team member Victor Shaburov additionally pledged $15 million to support relief organizations in Ukraine. While Snap doesn’t operate offices in Ukraine, a company it acquired called Looksery is based in the country. Snap said it has more than 300 employees based in Ukraine or are from Ukraine originally.
The social company said it is helping team members relocate and continuing to monitor its platform for misinformation and violence. This week, social platforms are continuing to take action against individuals and groups affiliated with the Russian government.
“We are vigilantly monitoring our platform for any evidence of disinformation or misuse while we focus on providing accurate news coverage and information to our global community through our partnerships with media publishers on our Discover content platform. On Discover, we only feature content from verified media partners and creators, and we have never allowed Russian state media to distribute content,” the company said in its post.
