Russia demands Apple explain after VK apps removed from App Store (updated)

VK

28/09/2022 12:39

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      This content was produced in Russia, where the law
restricts
coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine.
    

  
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       MOSCOW, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Russia's communications
regulator on Wednesday demanded an explanation from Apple
 AAPL.O  after applications operated by the Russian
state-controlled tech firm VK  VKCOq.L  were removed from the
U.S. firm's App Store.
    The regulator, Roskomnadzor, has been a thorn in the side of
foreign tech firms, issuing fines over data storage violations
and for failures to remove content Russia deems illegal -
disputes that have escalated since Moscow sent its armed forces
into Ukraine in February. 
    VK runs Vkontakte, which with over 75 million monthly users
is Russia's largest social network, often compared to Facebook.
Along with VK's email service Mail.ru, Vkontakte must be
pre-installed on mobile devices sold in Russia.
    Roskomnadzor said Apple's actions had deprived millions of
Russians of access to VK apps and demanded that it explain its
decision.     
    Apple did not immediately respond to an emailed request for
comment. 
    "The agency believes that such discriminatory restrictions,
which violate the right of Russian internet users to freely
receive information and communicate, are unacceptable,"
Roskomnadzor said in a statement.
    Russia has, however, itself limited its citizens' access to
information by forcing all significant independent Russian media
to close and blocking the U.S. social media platforms Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter.
    VK tightened its grip on Russia's internet space this month
by finalising a deal to buy rival Yandex's  YNDX.O  news
aggregator, content platform Zen and yandex.ru homepage.
    VK on Tuesday said its apps, including Vkontakte, already
installed on smartphones continued to work, and that it was
continuing to develop and support apps for Apple's iOS operating
system. 
 (Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
 ((alexander.marrow@thomsonreuters.com))