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Earlier this week, Russia said it would scale back military operations near Ukraine’s capital. Still, after nearly 40 days into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an estimated 6.5 million people have been displaced in the country, and companies with an Austin presence are looking for ways to help.
The local crypto scene offered donations after Ukrainian officials called for help on Twitter and now other tech companies in Austin have joined, with some even making adjustments to their platforms.
Razorhorse
This Austin-founded financial services company has two team members in Ukraine, so when the invasion happened, they felt called to action. “Our team members’ lives were turned upside down,” the company wrote in a post. “We’ve been supporting them as best we can, but we wanted to do more.”
Razorhorse donated $10,000 to Ukrainian causes and $1,500 through a 2-for-1-match Benevity, a charitable donation-management company, ran. Plus, funds given to the employees are being used to assist refugees, children, hospitals and volunteer soldiers.
Part of the contribution went to helping Ukrainians battle freezing temperatures through thermal underwear kits for territorial defense squads in Kyiv and elsewhere. Another share of the donation went toward acquiring wound therapy equipment for a military hospital in Vinnytsia.
Apple
At the start of the month, Apple said it would match employee donations at a rate of 2 to 1.
“This moment calls for unity, it calls for courage, and it reminds us that we must never lose sight of the humanity we all share,” Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in an email to staff. “In these difficult times, I take comfort in knowing that we are united in our commitment to each other, to our users, and to being a force for good in the world.”
The company has also paused product sales in Russia and stopped exports into their sales channel in the country. Services like Apple Pay are limited; outside of Russia, the App Store doesn’t make RT News or Sputnik News available for download. On the safety side for Ukrainians, the company disabled traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps.
SpaceX
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is based in the Rio Grande Valley and has an Austin presence, responded to the invasion by sending Starlink satellite kits to Ukraine. They come equipped with an antenna, mounting tripod and WiFi router.
But there’s been concern that the satellites could be targeted by Russia and China. Musk recently responded with confidence, saying it would be challenging to target the satellites.
“If you attempt to take out Starlink, this is not easy because there are 2,000 satellites,” Musk told Insider. Still, he warned users in Ukraine to turn to the system “only when needed.”In early March, the tech giant announced it will use office space in Poland to offer humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees. One campus in Warsaw will serve as a space for refugees to receive legal and psychological support services from local non-government organizations.
The tech giant has also raised millions to help those affected by the war in Ukraine. “Our teams are working around the clock to support people in Ukraine through our products, defend against cybersecurity threats, and surface reliable information while taking extraordinary measures to stop the spread of misinformation and disrupt disinformation campaigns online,” Google wrote in a post.
Meta
The parent company of Instagram and Facebook has raised at least $20 million for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
It has also added safety features. For example, their teams are working with non-governmental organizations to spread the word on tools like locking users’ Facebook profile. The company also temporarily removed the ability to view and search the friends' lists of Facebook accounts in Ukraine and Russia to prevent people from being targeted.
But Ukraine has requested more. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly asked CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg to ban Facebook and Instagram within the country’s borders, which they denied.
- Formula 1 ends deal with Russian Grand Prix amid Ukraine war ... ›
- Austinites raise $30,000 for family of five fleeing Ukraine - austonia ›
- Austin's Russian House changes name in solidarity with Ukraine ... ›
- How crypto is being used to support Ukraine - austonia ›
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- Austin's Russian House changes name in solidarity with Ukraine ... ›
- Elon Musk challenges the Kremlin to a fight on Twitter - austonia ›
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- Family fleeing Ukraine says they received 'huge' support from Austin - austonia ›
Popular
(Moriah Wilson/Instagram)
Austin police are investigating the killing of Moriah "Mo" Wilson after she was found with gunshot wounds inside an Austin home.
Wilson, a gravel and mountain bike racer, was visiting Austin from Colorado in preparation for the Gravel Locos race on Saturday taking place in Hico, a small town 2 hours from Austin.
On Wednesday, her roommate came home and found Wilson unresponsive with "a lot of blood near her,” police said. It is now being investigated as a suspicious death. No further information on the suspect or motive behind the killing are available at this time.
Wilson recently had become a full-time biker after winning a slew of races in the past year.
(Pexels)
Some of your favorite Instagram filters can’t be used in Texas anymore and Austinites are sounding off on social media.
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, announced on Wednesday that certain filters would no longer be available in Texas.
The change is a result of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company uses facial recognition technology that violates laws in Texas. A release from Meta says it stopped using facial recognition tech in November 2021 and denies Paxton’s allegations.
Some Austinites bemoaned the shift, saying some of their favorite filters were now unavailable.
This was my FAVORITE filter on @instagram and they done removed it cause I’m in Texas ! Like wowwwwww pic.twitter.com/uX60hdIC0Q
— Pinkyy Montana (@inkstar_pinkyy) May 11, 2022
i heard that instagram filters got banned in texas? what the actual fuck y’all better give me my favorite filter back
— lia 🤍 (@liatootrill) May 11, 2022
loved this stupid filter sm i hate texas pic.twitter.com/DXr9mmUc64
— birthday boy jeno 🎂 (@beabtox) May 12, 2022
But more often than not, locals joked about the ban.
Texas women seeing the filter ban on IG pic.twitter.com/yDMcP3Qtsr
— Christian (Anabolic) Flores (@christian_flo24) May 11, 2022
So, the state of Texas has banned filter use on IG? THE END IS NEAR. 😂
— THE FRANCHISE! Франшиза (@NYCFranchise718) May 12, 2022
And some in-between chose to show off some natural beauty.
I live in Texas, but no filter needed. 😉 pic.twitter.com/A6teRgYMKn
— bad and bruja (@starseedmami) May 11, 2022
filter, no filter..texas women still reign supreme.
— 🎍 (@_sixile) May 11, 2022
Finally, some are trying to cash in on the opportunity.
Texas IG users- if you want to filter your picture cashapp me $1.50 $ErvnYng
— Gemini (@ervn_y) May 11, 2022
Meta said it plans to create an opt-in system for both Texas and Illinois residents, who are facing the same issues.