Google is now rolling out a rapid Air Raid Alerts system for Ukrainian Android users as Russia intensifies its attack on the country. Tech behemoths around the world are leaving no stone unturned in a bid to aid people in Ukraine. Aside from that, major companies are halting sell of their products and service availability in Russia. As part of the sanctions, AWS (Amazon Cloud Services) is not accepting new user registrations in Russia at the moment.
On March 10, the search engine giant confirmed that it will be suspending Google Play payments in Russia as well. Sticking to its stance on Russia, Google is now stepping in to announce its collaboration with the Ukrainian government. As part of this partnership, the tech behemoth will be rolling out a rapid Air Raid Alerts system for all phones running on Android OS in Ukraine. As a result, Ukrainians will receive an alert when an air raid is detected.
However, it is worth mentioning here that Google’s current air raid systems are a mere extension to existing air raid systems in Ukraine. In other words, Google is simply helping to ensure a wider audience gets these life-saving warnings. On Thursday, March 10, Google released a statement regarding its new alerts system. The company highlighted the important role air strike alerts play in getting people to safety.
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Google Brings Rapid Air Raid Alerts To All Android Phones
Furthermore, Google admitted that its alert systems will only serve as a supplement to Ukraine’s existing air raid alert systems. Also, it stated that the rapid Air Raid Alerts system is based on the alerts that the Ukrainian government is providing the people of the country. To recall, some reports claim that the Russian forces bombed a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol. To recall, Google stopped selling online ads in Russia earlier this month.
In addition to that, the company is currently trying to figure out how it can help hotels in countries encompassing Ukraine. With this service, hotel owners will be able to indicate if they are providing free or discounted accommodations for people leaving the country. Over 2 million refugees have managed to flee the invading forces as of March 10. To recall, Google launched refugee resources for those seeking asylum after leaving Ukraine. Moreover, it even included an SOS alert on Google Search.
As if that weren’t enough, the company is stopping most of its commercial activities in Russia. These include YouTube monetization, new Cloud sign-ups, and payments features for several Google services. Moreover, it even restricted live traffic data in Ukraine citing the safety of the people living in the country.