Apple’s removal of various applications developed by Russia-based VK from the US App Store caused a reaction from the Moscow administration. While the Kremlin asked for the reason for the decision to be explained, Apple stated that it complies with the sanctions and legal regulations in force in the countries where it operates. The latest development has brought the tension between technology companies and Russia over digital services to the agenda again.
Russia-related applications that Apple has recently removed from the App Store are not limited to VK only. The company recently removed two applications published under different names in the US App Store and stated to belong to Russian banks. One of these apps had risen to the top three most downloaded apps in the US App Store before it was removed. Now, it appears that various applications developed by VK have also been blocked from access.
Kremlin awaits official statement from Apple
According to information provided by Reuters, VK announced that its applications were removed from the App Store without any prior warning or justification. While the company emphasized that it was not covered by US sanctions, it argued that the decision limited access to services that millions of Russian users benefit from daily. In the statement, it was stated that social networks, messaging services, video platforms, e-mail services and education applications were affected by this situation.
In his assessment to Reuters, the Kremlin Spokesperson said that if Apple does not provide a satisfactory explanation, necessary evaluations will be made regarding the cooperation with the company. Despite this, the Moscow administration did not share details about what concrete steps could be taken against Apple.
In its statement on the subject, Apple stated that the removal of the applications was carried out in order to comply with international sanctions. The company reiterated that it complies with the applicable laws and enforcement regulations of the relevant country in all markets in which it operates. In recent years, Apple has had to make access decisions for various applications and services in different countries for similar reasons.
Relations between Russia and Western technology companies have become more complex, especially since 2022. Apple stopped official product sales in Russia in March 2022. Therefore, the company is not directly affected by some local regulations for new devices sold in the country. In contrast, the Russian government continued to expand practices that require pre-installed domestic software on smartphones and tablets sold in the country.
In this context, regulations have been implemented to offer the messaging application MAX, developed by the state-supported VK, as pre-installed on new devices. In addition, Russia has recently started to impose various restrictions on some communication services provided via WhatsApp and Telegram. These developments show that policies to increase the use of domestic platforms in the country’s digital ecosystem continue.
On the other hand, Reuters reminds that the VK company is not directly on the sanctions list of Western countries. However, it is stated that the company’s CEO Vladimir Kiriyenko is among those sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the USA. The news also includes information that Vladimir Kiriyenko’s father, Sergey Kiriyenko, served as the first deputy of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The development once again brings to the fore the impact of international sanctions on technology platforms. The tension between Apple’s decision on the grounds of compliance with sanctions policies and Russia’s regulatory approach on digital services may pave the way for new discussions in the coming period regarding applications in the App Store and the activities of international technology companies.