Google has announced it has began rolling out a rapid Air Raid Alerts system in Ukraine, which will send air raid alerts directly on Android phones in the country.
“Tragically, millions of people in Ukraine now rely on air strike alerts to try to get to safety. At the request, and with the help, of the government of Ukraine, we've started rolling out a rapid Air Raid Alerts system for Android phones in Ukraine. This work is supplemental to the country's existing air raid alert systems, and based on alerts already being delivered by the Ukrainian government,” Kent Walker, President, Global Affairs & Chief Legal Officer at Google, wrote in a recent blog post.
According to Dave Burke, vice president of engineering for Android, the system is based on Google’s low latency alert mechanism for earthquake alerts. The new alerts system begins rolling out today and will ramp up to all Android phones in Ukraine in the coming days, Burke said.
Also, hotel owners in countries neighboring Ukraine can now note on their business profile if they offer free or discounted accommodations for Ukrainian refugees.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Google has significantly limited operations in Russia, including pausing all ad sales and monetization features for YouTube viewers in Russia.
Earlier, Meta (former Facebook) updated Facebook’s Community Help section in Ukraine to add information from local UN agencies and Red Cross societies, including instructions on how to seek medical help, how to stay safe and how to get assistance. The feature is available to users not only in Ukraine, but also in neighbouring countries.
Cybersecurity Help’s statement on the critical situation in Ukraine
On February 24, people in many cities and towns across Ukraine woke up to the sounds of explosions and artillery fire, as the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of the country. Such actions are unacceptable, political ambitions of any man aren’t worth of blood, tears, and destruction of millions of lives. We give our full support to the Ukrainian people in these hard times. No more war! Слава Україні!