Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) stated in a written statement that Apple must end discrimination against Russian search engines and ensure the pre-installation of local software on iOS devices. The statement said that if Apple does not comply by July 15, an investigation will be launched under competition law, and if a violation is found, Apple could face a fine of up to 4 billion rubles.
The statement noted that currently, a foreign search engine is offered by default on iPhones and iPads, forcing users who want to use Russian search engines to manually change the settings. FAS emphasized that this practice creates discriminatory conditions for Russian software developers and violates consumer rights.
In Russia, smart devices sold are legally required to have Russian search engines and certain local software pre-installed. If Apple fails to comply with this law, it could face severe financial penalties.
Meanwhile, Russian tech company VK announced on June 25 that its applications were removed from the App Store without warning, halting downloads and updates. Earlier in June, Apple removed Russia's national messaging app, MAX, from the App Store.