Content Moderation Challenges Amid the War in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has mobilized the business world to take action against Russian state-owned media outlets, TV networks, companies and even Russian athletes by showing support for Ukraine through instituting a form of sanctions of their own. And the list keeps growing. On Friday, March 4, Cannes Lions targeted marketing and advertising executives directly, announcing that it will not accept submissions to its award programs from Russian organizations and, in an admittedly “small gesture,” will grant Ukraine creatives free admission to this year’s festival.

At the same time, big tech platforms are enacting new policies to combat the spread of misinformation. Google and Meta have banned Russian state-media from selling ads on its platforms and Twitter suspended all advertising in Ukraine and Russia. Brand safety and reputation concerns also come into play as advertisers attempt to toe the line between acting responsibly and meeting business objectives.

When it comes to content moderation, big tech companies have enormous power. And although policies to moderate the flow of information are in place, it’s unclear whether the business community is satisfied with piecemeal, reactive responses to major news events. Read how industry experts are evaluating the conflict through the lens of digital advertising, according to a piece in AdExchanger.