For many years, Google has been developing the Google Fonts font library, which is actively used by developers of websites and Android applications. Unfortunately, the Golos font, developed by the russian company Paratype, was added to the Google library yesterday.

Cooperation with the russians in conditions of full-scale russian aggression already raises many questions for Google. But the situation is even worse, because as early as September 2022 it became known that Paratype CEO Anna Yakupova openly supports russia’s attack on Ukraine.

The Paratype scandal began with an open Telegram chat of font developers. As the publication AIN wrote last September, Ukrainian designer Serhii Rasskazov published a screenshot of Anna Yakupova’s message in which she congratulates everyone present in the chat with the illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine. “Our country has grown there, and I congratulate you all with that!” writes Yakupova.

Google has added a font from a russian company whose CEO supports the war against Ukraine to its library

The situation was widely publicized in the font community and on social media, and Paratype issued a statement saying it was “out of politics.”

If they wanted to, the Google Fonts team could easily verify who they were dealing with. If Google’s moral principles do not prohibit it from doing business with the russians, perhaps at least the fear of reputational losses will force the company to refuse cooperation with companies associated with the aggressor country. At the time of publication, Google has not responded to the addition of the Paratype font to Google Fonts.