Technology giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter are all offering digital ways to donate to Japan’s recovery efforts following the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami.
Apple has set up an option on its iTunes software to allow registered users to make donations ranging from US$5 to US $200 to the US Red Cross simply by clicking a button for the chosen amount.
The Red Cross has also launched a campaign on Facebook through the social media giant’s Causes function, initially aiming to raise at least US$25,000 for relief efforts.
A service accepting donations via text message was also launched by the Red Cross, after a similar fundraising campaign raised over US$20 million last year for Haiti quake survivors.
Micro-blogging site Twitter was updating by the second, continually refreshing information and advice as well as directing people to resources on the ground and offering ways to donate to help survivors.
“At Twitter, we feel that it is part of our duty to do whatever we can, no matter how little, to support those during times of need like this,” read the Web site’s blog.
Hashtags, a label used by Twitter users to help organize messages has been created to find anything from evacuation information to medical updates.
Even gamers can do their bit.
Zynga, the world’s largest social gaming company, hopes to raise US$2 million for Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake Tsunami Emergency Fund.
The company is asking users to donate money through the purchase of virtual goods in CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille and its other games.
Zynga has raised millions of dollars in recent years through similar campaigns, most notably for the relief efforts in Haiti.
Google’s Crisis Response page was also geared up to offer people a way to help survivors on the ground as well as offering resources to find information.
Google’s person finder service had notched up almost 140,000 records of people leaving messages seeking information on friends and family by 5:30am GMT yesterday.
The site was updating, in English and Japanese, by the hundreds every few minutes.
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