Apple's actions, which, at the request of Roskomnadzor, have already removed over a hundred apps and podcasts from the App Store for the Russian audience, have been criticized in the West. The catalog of available apps on this marketplace has been purged of media outlets labeled as foreign agents and organizations deemed undesirable in Russia, podcasts by foreign agents, and apps that helped Russians bypass blocks on online resources violating laws.
The actions of the "apple" company have outraged the international non-governmental organization "Reporters Without Borders" (since April 2024, the organization's website has been blocked in Russia — according to Roskomnadzor, for "spreading fakes about the special military operation"). Activists, who previously opposed censorship and laws that infringe on freedom of the press, demanded that Apple "show more firmness towards Russian censorship" and focus on freedom of information, rather than "economic opportunism". Apple, however, does not consider the criticism fair: the company is trying to comply with the laws of the country where it does not want to lose its market.
Failure to comply with legal requirements could result in Apple no longer being able to support the App Store or distribute content in the country. The U.S. government encourages companies to provide communication services to Russian citizens, as the availability of these services best promotes democratic principles.
Earlier in 2024, it became known that Russia plans to oblige Apple to allow the installation of third-party applications on iOS devices.
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