Russia

Apple has restored Russian apps for social network VKontakte and webmail provider Mail.ru to the App Store, three weeks after removing them and other VK-owned apps in response to UK sanctions (via The Guardian). The two services, which could be described as home-grown versions of Facebook and Gmail, were pulled following a package of sanctions enacted by the British government that affected...

Apple has removed from the App Store all iOS apps belonging to Russian technology conglomerate VK, a move Apple says is in response to the latest round of UK sanctions on Russian oligarchs. "These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government," said Apple spokesperson Adam Dema in a statement given to The...

Apple this week suspended its Apple Pay service for the Mir card payment system in Russia, effectively closing a loophole that had allowed Russians to continue to use the ‌Apple Pay‌ service. According to Reuters, Mir had remained connected to ‌Apple Pay‌ even after Apple restricted the use of the payments service in Russia on March 1 for Mastercard and Visa cardholders. Russia's National ...

iPhones.ru is reporting that iTunes and App Store purchases can no longer be made by Apple device users located in Russia, leaving them unable to pay for apps, media, or Apple services. According to the Russia-based site, it is now impossible for users to add funds to their ‌App Store‌ or iTunes Store accounts using regional bank cards issued by Russian banks including Alfa-Bank, Sber, and...

Apple today confirmed that it has stopped all product sales from its online website in Russia, which means customers in Russia can no longer purchase Macs, iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. Attempting to make a purchase from the Russia store results in a "delivery unavailable" result when trying to add a product to the online cart. Sales have been halted following a plea last week...

Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov today wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook calling on Apple to stop device sales and block App Store access in Russia. In the letter, Fedorov says that he is asking for Apple's support to stop supplying Apple services and products to users in Russia amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.I appeal to you and I am sure you will not only hear, but...

The ransomware hackers behind last year's MacBook Pro schematics leak have now been arrested in Russia, the FSB today announced in a press release (via Reuters). Following an initial arrest late last year, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) explained that it has arrested 14 members of "REvil," an organized criminal association that used malicious software to extort funds from companies. ...

Apple is undertaking legal action in Russia to prevent developers from promoting alternative payment methods for in-app purchases that bypass the company's payment system, RT reports. Apple's lawsuit attempts to challenge Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and the request it made to the company in August to "stop abuse in the market." The FAS's request would allow developers to...

Russia's FAS, or Federal Antimonopoly Service, has launched a formal investigation into Apple over alleged violation of antitrust laws about the App Store and Apple's restrictions that do not allow developers to link to third-party payment methods outside of the platform. In August, FAS issued a warning to Apple to "stop violating antimonopoly legislation" by not inhibiting developers from...

Customers using cards with the Russian payment system "Mir" now have access to using their cards with Apple Pay, the Russian News Agency reports, citing a press release. The Mir payment system is Russia's national payment system, with cards being accepted in 11 countries. The payment system has 270 banks as participants, with 150 banks issuing Mir cards. Apple Pay support came to Mir...

Apple and other U.S. tech companies could be forced to open offices in Russia or face punitive measures, as part of a push by Russia to improve its internet "sovereignty." Russian lawmakers passed legislation last week that requires foreign sites with more than half a million daily users in Russia to set up a local branch or Russian legal entity, reports Reuters: Websites that do not comply ...

Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has levied a $12 million fine against Apple for alleged abuse of its dominance in the mobile applications market, reports Reuters. According to the FAS, Apple's distribution of apps through iOS gives its products a competitive advantage. Apple has been charged 906.3 million roubles, equivalent to $12.1 million. The fine stems from an August...

A few weeks after Apple agreed to allow Russia to show iPhone users in the country suggested apps created by Russian developers, Russian users are seeing the list of app suggestions when setting up a new device. As noted by Khaos Tian on Twitter, Russian users will see an App Store section featuring apps like Yandex Browser, Yandex Maps, ICQ, VK, and others during the ‌iPhone‌ startup...

Apple has reportedly agreed to show users a prompt when first setting up a device in Russia to pre-install government-approved apps, in compliance with a new law from the Ministry of Digital Affairs, according to a report from Vedomosti. According to the report, citing a source within the Ministry, Apple struck a deal with the government that will show users a prompt when first configuring ...

Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music, and a division of Warner have filed applications for a preliminary injunction against Apple for hosting three music apps in the Russian App Store that infringe copyright, reports TorrentFreak. Roman Lukyanov, CEO of Semenov & Pevzner, a local law firm specializing in copyright protection and representing the labels, told Kommersant that the...

Draft legislation submitted in Russia this week could see Apple's App Store commission cut by a third if it is ratified by the country's parliament. Reuters reports that the bill requires that commissions on the sale of apps by Apple and Google be capped at 20%. Apple has a long-standing policy of collecting 30% commission on all sales (including in-app purchases) in the App store. The...

Russia this week lifted a nearly two-year ban on messenger app Telegram after it failed to prevent the encrypted platform from being widely used, reports Reuters. Some Russian media portrayed the move as a capitulation, but the country's media regulator Roskomnadzor said the company had shown "willingness" to help with counterterrorism efforts. "Roskomnadzor is dropping its demands to...

Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed new legislation requiring all smartphones, computers, and smart TVs sold in the country to come pre-installed with Russian software, reports Reuters. Proponents of the law claim it will help Russian developers better compete with foreign tech firms. The legislation has also been pitched as a way of sparing consumers from having to download...

Apple is under investigation by Russia's anti-monopoly watchdog following a complaint from cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab that the company is abusing its dominant position in smartphone apps, Reuters reports this morning. Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) says it is investigating why a new version of Kaspersky Lab's Safe Kids application has not been updated on the iOS App...

The Russian government has asked Apple to help it block Telegram, the secure messaging app that's highly popular in the country, reports WCCFTech. A Russian court in April ordered carriers and internet providers in the country to block Telegram back in April, after Telegram refused to provide Russia with backdoor access to user messages. Telegram, for those unfamiliar with the app, offers ...