Russia demands Apple remove opposition leader's 'Navalny' app from App Store

AppleInsider

The Russian watchdog group Roskomnadzor has demanded that both Google and Apple remove opposition leader Alexi Navalny's app from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

Alexei Navalny | Image Credit: Evgeny Feldman / Novaya Gazeta

Roskomnadzor (RKN) suggests that "Navalny" is used to promote extremist activity of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). The FBK is a non-profit organization founded by Navalny in 2011.

In June 2021, the FBK was designated as an extremist organization and liquidated by the Moscow City Court.

"Roskomnadzor appealed to remove the Navalny application from application stores," the agency told Interfax.

"The above-mentioned annex is used to continue the activities of an extremist organization," the RKN stated.

Additionally, Russia has banned dozens of sites related to FBK activities, including navalny.com, free.navalny.com, and fbk.info.

Russia recently fined Apple $12 million for breaking monopoly laws, claiming the tech giant is abusing its dominant position in the mobile apps marketplace. Russia also ordered Apple to remove provisions in its policies that gave it the right to reject apps from the App Store.

Apple has agreed to preinstalling mandatory apps on iPhones and other Apple devices sold and activated in Russia to comply with laws that came into force on April 1, 2021. Under the agreement, iPhones and iPads must present a screen to users that offers a selection of apps produced by Russian developers.

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mrmiyamoto

And Apple will probably comply.  But we should totally trust that no government could ever have an influence over their CSAM detection scheme, right guys?  Guys?

amar99

Haha I was just about to say, of course they'll comply. Censorship is their middle name these days.

igorsky

I predict a run on the idiotic "of course Apple will comply" comments.  Like they're the only company that follows the rules of the countries that they operate in.

daalseth

“Terrorist” and “Extremist” have become meaningless words. They are used by whatever government is in power against anyone that does something they don’t like.

crowley

Anti-corruption is extremist  

These so-called strong men autocracies really are the biggest bunch of overly sensitive wussies you could imagine, and they've got no answers other than a boot.  Can't compete, so send in the thugs to oppress instead.  Pathetic.

strangedays

amar99 said:

Haha I was just about to say, of course they'll comply. Censorship is their middle name these days.

You seem confused. Blocking and reporting by law child pornography from their iCloud Photos service is not remotely the definition of censorship. 

appleish

Counteroffer: The U.S. cuts all of their hard lines to the Internet for state sanctioned cybercrime and military election interference. 

edited August 2021

verne arase

Of course everyone has to follow local laws to continue to exist in that marketplace - the only difference is that in the US and other western countries Apple can fight the government through the courts.

In autocratic countries, there's just nothing you can do since the courts are controlled by the autocracies and there is no real rule of law - no constitutional protections with teeth in them.

mikethemartian

Fuck you Putin.

entropys

verne arase said:

Of course everyone has to follow local laws to continue to exist in that marketplace - the only difference is that in the US and other western countries Apple can fight the government through the courts.

In autocratic countries, there's just nothing you can do since the courts are controlled by the autocracies and there is no real rule of law - no constitutional protections with teeth in them.

Liberty is something easily lost, and very difficult to regain.

narwhal

For always putting on a tough-guy act, Putin is just a little sissy crybaby. Poor little Vlad. Boo hoo. Wah wah! Where's your binky? Is your diaper full? Little baby Putin. He just wants to be loved by someone who's not psycho or feeble-minded.

rcfa

So, how long until Russia demands Russia-specific CSAM hash databases under their control, and direct notification of a special branch of it security services in the case of matching images?

3-2-…

And what are the chances these databases will then be augmented with pictures of Nawalny, Putin caricatures, etc.?

But yeah, the CSAM scanning is OK, because the most egregious erosion of privacy can be justified first with terrorism, and if that won’t work, with “children”.

We’re half a step away from Clinton’s proposed Clipper chip, in case anyone still remembers…

zeus423

It sure seems like this is where we are as a society these days.

22july2013

crowley said:

These so-called strong men autocracies really are the biggest bunch of overly sensitive wussies you could imagine, and they've got no answers other than a boot.  Can't compete, so send in the thugs to oppress instead.  Pathetic.

There's a first for everything. I agree with you.

Someone should make a "freedom list" of companies that avoid doing business with thugs and dictators, just like some people do to protect the environment. I would buy more from those companies.

ikir

rcfa said:

So, how long until Russia demands Russia-specific CSAM hash databases under their control, and direct notification of a special branch of it security services in the case of matching images?

3-2-…

And what are the chances these databases will then be augmented with pictures of Nawalny, Putin caricatures, etc.?

But yeah, the CSAM scanning is OK, because the most egregious erosion of privacy can be justified first with terrorism, and if that won’t work, with “children”.

We’re half a step away from Clinton’s proposed Clipper chip, in case anyone still remembers…

CSAM databases is not run by governments, also CSAM IS implemented only in country where impartiality can be assured, Apple is not bringing that feature in country like Russia or Iran for example.

beowulfschmidt

ikir said:

rcfa said:

So, how long until Russia demands Russia-specific CSAM hash databases under their control, and direct notification of a special branch of it security services in the case of matching images?

3-2-…

And what are the chances these databases will then be augmented with pictures of Nawalny, Putin caricatures, etc.?

But yeah, the CSAM scanning is OK, because the most egregious erosion of privacy can be justified first with terrorism, and if that won’t work, with “children”.

We’re half a step away from Clinton’s proposed Clipper chip, in case anyone still remembers…

CSAM databases is not run by governments, also CSAM IS implemented only in country where impartiality can be assured, Apple is not bringing that feature in country like Russia or Iran for example.

The organization that maintains the CSAM hashes is government funded.  Government funding is semantically equal to government control, whatever circumlocutions are employed to hide that fact.

SCOTUS has already ruled in at least one case (Hillsdale College) that an organization accepting government funding, even indirectly, as is the case for government grants to students which are then paid to the college, must follow the government's rules.  I'm sure there are others.