Apple has removed russian social media apps from the App Store

This was reported by Radio Free Europe’s russian service.

Not only has the flagship social network “VKontakte” disappeared from the online platform, but also “Odnoklassniki”, “Zen”, the Mail.ru email service, as well as VK’s “Dating”, “Music”, ‘Messenger’, ‘Mail’, VK Video and the educational platform Skillbox have also disappeared from the online platform.

VK’s press office stated that the company has never been subject to international or US sanctions. They described Apple’s actions as “unjustified and unacceptable”, adding that this would restrict access for tens of millions of users to popular services, as well as block important push notifications. Meanwhile, apps previously installed on iOS devices are currently still functioning, and the services remain available on Google Play.

Apple is currently refraining from making any official comments regarding the blocking of VK’s products. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the russian authorities “expect to receive an explanation” from Apple. According to him, if no response is forthcoming, Moscow “will have to draw conclusions regarding future cooperation with this company”.

Radio Free Europe notes that although VK claims not to be on any sanctions lists, the corporation works closely with the russian authorities. In particular, it is the developer of the MAX messaging app, which is actively promoted by the Kremlin. The MAX messaging app was removed from the App Store in early June — at the time, Apple explained this move as compliance with international sanctions.

Despite the fact that, following the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Apple announced its withdrawal from the russian market, the company continues to strike a balance between complying with sanctions and meeting the demands of local regulators:

Apple has repeatedly removed apps at the request of the russian authorities. In total, over 700 services have been censored in the russian App Store, including popular VPN clients and independent media outlets.

From 1 April, payments for Apple services and subscriptions via mobile operators’ accounts ceased entirely in russia. The russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media obliged operators to disable this function, citing the fight against VPN services – which russians use en masse to bypass domestic blocks – as one of the main aims of this move.

Source: Suspilne