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With several cities of Ukraine under siege, major tech companies, which have long positioned themselves as beacons of free expression and democratic standards, are taking action against Russia. This comes after Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, in a series of tweets, called upon tech giants -- including Apple, Google, Netflix, and Meta -- to either halt their activities in Russia or block accounts linked to Russians.

Here’s how the bigwigs of the tech world are responding to the conflict:

Facebook:

Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Facebook, has revealed that Facebook is prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform. He said, "We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world. We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media."

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

Facebook has also introduced a “lock profile” tool for its Ukrainian users. Under the new feature, "when their profile is locked, people who aren’t their friends can’t download or share their profile photo or see posts on their timeline,” said Gleicher.

Apple: In a tweet, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "I am deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. We’re doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harm’s way and joining all those calling for peace."

I am deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. We’re doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harm’s way and joining all those calling for peace.

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 25, 2022

Google: In a statement, a Google spokesperson said, "In response to the war in Ukraine, we are pausing Google monetization of Russian State-funded media across our platforms... We're actively monitoring new developments and will take further steps if necessary."

YouTube: The company -- owned by Google -- has barred Russian state-owned media outlet RT and channels from receiving ad money. "Our teams have started to pause the ability for certain channels to monetize on YouTube, including RT's YouTube channels globally," Google said in a statement.

Starlink: In the wake of an invasion, internet services have been hit in several areas of Ukraine and many government websites, social media channels, and online communication were compromised.

Given the crisis, Ukraine's Deputy PM Fedorov, in a tweet, wrote, "While you

Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022

Grammarly: A Ukrainian American-headquartered cross-platform has also responded to the crisis. In a LinkedIn post, company CEO Brad Hoover, said, “Grammarly remains committed to Ukraine. We’re continuing to hire for various roles on our team... In times like these, and always, we prioritize the safety and well-being of our team members. While we hope for the best, we have also prepared for the worst. That includes having contingency plans for various scenarios, along with financial and logistical assistance to better support our team members and their families in getting to safety. It also includes business continuity plans to ensure Grammarly’s services will not be disrupted.”

Uber: The mobility service provider has offered its Kyiv-based employees and their immediate families temporary and voluntary relocation to safer parts of Ukraine or other countries.