We are excited to tell you more about Android 11, but now is not the time to celebrate. We are postponing the June 3rd event and beta release. We'll be back with more on Android 11, soon.
— Android Developers (@AndroidDev) May 30, 2020
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020
Both companies do not reference the unrest directly but both cancellations have been seen as supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement that has once again dominated headlines after the killing of black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota. Protests against police brutality have seen violence against protestors and journalists on the streets of the US.
The global civil unrest has pushed even Covid-19 out of the headlines, and Google and Sony are two of the companies who have indicated that they feel there are more important things right now than Android and video games.
While these are the highest profile cancellations of tech events, EA also postponed its Madden NFL 21 event with a tweet that showed direct support for the cause rather than simply alluding to it:
An official statement from EA SPORTS pic.twitter.com/MKdgJjvKJB
— Madden NFL 20 (@EAMaddenNFL) May 31, 2020
There are no confirmed rescheduled dates for any of the three events.