Tech Industry and National Security – War in Ukraine

The Russia-Ukraine war shows technology companies why national security is essential. As well as why they should help support it, noted the former CEO of Google. He said the war would allow tech companies to understand why national security is essential. The country needs strong national security, and the technology industry must support it.

It is worth noting that Schmidt has long been a supporter of the U.S. National Security Institution; In 2016, for example, he took on the role of Pentagon technical adviser.

However, employees of tech companies, including Google, sometimes object to tech companies’ contracts with federal defense contractors. For example, in 2018, after an employee protest, Google told them it would not renew the Pentagon contract to analyze videos of drones with artificial intelligence.

Russia-Ukraine War

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tech companies have taken steps to prevent their platforms from becoming Kremlin propaganda. Facebook, in particular, supplied state-owned assets as such and refused to suspend the practice, resulting in the service being restricted by the government. Later, Meta allowed users to call for death for the Russian invaders; the Russian government has launched a criminal investigation into the company.

According to Schmidt, Western sanctions essentially “bring Moscow back to where it was in the 1980s with food stamps, long queues, and the like.” However, as far as technology is concerned, there is more integration and access to information nowadays. Consequently, Russian citizens have the opportunity to see what they are losing.

It is worth noting that Schmidt was CEO of Google from 2001-2011; He also served in other roles, including as CEO, before leaving the company in 2020. He is currently the Co-Chair of the Schmidt Futures Foundation.