Facebook, Twitter Launch Safety Tools To Safeguard Users In Ukraine

In light of the escalating conflict in Ukraine, Facebook and Twitter have launched new features for users in the country to keep their identities and social media posts secure. 

AFP reports that the announcements come after the United Nations received a warning from the US that “Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation.”

These new security tools could be the key to keep citizens in the nation safe from whistleblowers.

Twitter posted a guide on how users can best set up their accounts to withstand hacking attempts, ensure their tweets are kept private, or even deactivate their accounts for the time being.

According to Reuters, the platform tweeted instructions in English, Russian, and Ukrainian to serve users from diverse backgrounds.

On Facebook, users can lock their profiles with just a single tap, preventing accounts who aren’t friends from downloading or sharing profile information, pictures, or posts. 

Additionally, as per Engadget, Meta has set up a “special operations center” with a dedicated team to keep watch on the unfolding events.

“It is staffed by experts (including native speakers) so we can closely monitor the situation and act as fast as possible,” said the firm’s Head of Security Policy, Nathaniel Gleicher.

2/ Last night, we also took steps to help people in region protect themselves online. We’ve launched a new feature in Ukraine that allows people to lock their profile to provide an extra layer of privacy and security.

— Nathaniel Gleicher (@ngleicher) February 24, 2022

Learn more about what makes a strong password, how to require an email and phone number for password reset requests, and find out if your account has been compromised: https://t.co/fCmOiYXdPs

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 24, 2022

[via Reuters and Engadget, cover image via Flynt | Dreamstime.com]