REDMOND, Wash. — In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has blocked access to independent news sites and Western media. TargetingS, a Redmond-based company, is responding to the war censorship in a big way.
They are using their technology to fight for the truth. In order to make that happen, TargetingS is reacting in real time, according to Chris Deco, the company's general manager of North America.
"We're helping these these independent media outlets play that game of Whack-A-Mole with Putin and the oppressive regime there," said Deco.
Val Khotemlyansky is the vice president of product development for TargetingS. He was born in Russia, but left the country 30 years ago.
"I think that our job is very important," said Khotemlyansky. "Our goal is to bring the truth to Russian citizenship and citizenship around the globe."
For the past 20 days, they have been helping independent media outlets to keep publishing. A prime example is the widely-shared video of a 'No War' sign being displayed during a government-run newscast in Russia.
"One of our partners that's operating within Russia, Republic, was able to publish that across social media networks using the TargetingS platform. They've been banned. However, as they continue to pivot, where they're able to post that information, we're able to grab it and distribute it to multiple networks and messengers," said Deco.
Deco said objective content is still finding a way to break through even as Russia works to control information.
"Democracy dies in darkness. We want to keep the lights on, and we will champion and hope everybody else will do the same," said Deco.
They are providing this service free of charge as they pivot with their partners, who are navigating censorship and blocked access in Russia.
"This is the fight for freedom of the press and expression and basic human rights. And we're going to do what we can to help," Deco said.