Apple removes independent media app from Russian App Store

AppleInsider

Apple has removed the Current Time app from the Russian version of its App Store, telling its developer that local authorities say it contains "undesirable" content.

The App Store is a powerful digital ecosystem.

Current Time is an independent Russian-language media service and website run by Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). It was removed at the insistence of Roskomnadzor, the Russian media regulatory agency. According to RFE/RL, Apple informed the developer that the agency says the app contained illegal content, as well as materials from an "undesirable" organization.

RFE/RL runs independently, and is funded by a grant from the US Agency for Global Media. The US agency sets up broadcasting via radio and television aimed at countries that restrict independent media reporting, including some 23 countries.

The removal of the app follows how Current Time over-the-air broadcasts were suspended in Russia after the government there leveraged its Federal Tax Service to threaten to bankrupt the organization. Consequently, the broadcasts were then only available via the app that has now been removed.

Russia's efforts to supress independent media have increased since it invaded Ukraine in 2022. Apple has responded to criticism of the removals by saying it has to operate within the laws of the countries it serves.



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22july2013

Did Apple also remove the apps from people's iPhones, or do they get to keep the app if they already downloaded it?

lam92103

Great job Apple! Thanks to your efforts to make sure no sideloading is possible, now Russians have one less avenue to get unbiased content

/s

chasm

22july2013 said:

Did Apple also remove the apps from people's iPhones, or do they get to keep the app if they already downloaded it?

Apple doesn't have that ability.

dewme

I would prefer the statement: “Apple has responded to criticism of the removals by saying it has to operate within the laws of the countries it decides to serve” followed by “and Russia is not a country that Apple has decided to serve.”

Wishful thinking, but there are times when unfettered capitalism is not appropriate, imho, even when it involves a financial loss for shareholders. Actions are stronger than words. 

cpsro

I don't see the Current Time app in the U.S. store

melgross

lam92103 said:

Great job Apple! Thanks to your efforts to make sure no sideloading is possible, now Russians have one less avenue to get unbiased content

/s

That wouldn’t help. All the government would have done would have been to ban side loading. It’s like Google leaving China. A great publicity stunt when it happened, but it accomplished,I shed nothing and I deed, made the problem there worse.

companies have zero control over what a government does.

melgross

dewme said:

I would prefer the statement: “Apple has responded to criticism of the removals by saying it has to operate within the laws of the countries it decides to serve” followed by “and Russia is not a country that Apple has decided to serve.”

Wishful thinking, but there are times when unfettered capitalism is not appropriate, imho, even when it involves a financial loss for shareholders. Actions are stronger than words. 

Well, it’s an interesting situation. Like most companies, they withdrew from Russia. That means that other than for the products smuggled into Russia, Apple is not selling there anymore. So they’re likely not making any money, assuming they’re not able to bill for services. If that’s true, I wonder why they would care about orders from the government there.

davidw

dewme said:

I would prefer the statement: “Apple has responded to criticism of the removals by saying it has to operate within the laws of the countries it decides to serve” followed by “and Russia is not a country that Apple has decided to serve.”

Wishful thinking, but there are times when unfettered capitalism is not appropriate, imho, even when it involves a financial loss for shareholders. Actions are stronger than words. 

Apple is primarily a hardware company and Apple have already stop selling their hardware in Russia. At least I don't recall Russia actually banning Apple from selling any of their hardware (in Russia).  It's because of US (G7) sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine.

But for those Russians that purchased iPhones, iPads and Macs before Apple stopped selling them in Russia, Apple is still allowed to support them. So long as Russia (or US (G7) sanctions) do not ban Apple from doing this. And I'm assuming Russia can ban Apple from supporting their devices in Russia, if Apple do not follow the laws of the country. Thus rendering all Apple hardware, (specially iPhones and iPads), that are in Russia even more useless. It would be as easy as forcing Russian mobile telecoms stop supporting iPhones. 

dewme

melgross said:

dewme said:

I would prefer the statement: “Apple has responded to criticism of the removals by saying it has to operate within the laws of the countries it decides to serve” followed by “and Russia is not a country that Apple has decided to serve.”

Wishful thinking, but there are times when unfettered capitalism is not appropriate, imho, even when it involves a financial loss for shareholders. Actions are stronger than words. 

Well, it’s an interesting situation. Like most companies, they withdrew from Russia. That means that other than for the products smuggled into Russia, Apple is not selling there anymore. So they’re likely not making any money, assuming they’re not able to bill for services. If that’s true, I wonder why they would care about orders from the government there.

Thanks for the clarification. So it’s really just a matter of Apple shutting down the App Store in Russia. That sounds like something that Apple should consider. I can’t imagine the lost revenue would be missed. 

I’m sure there are reasons why Apple keeps the App Store open in Russia, but every time Apple accepts restrictions that are clearly censorship and mechanisms to suppress human rights the rationale for keeping the App Store open get weaker and harder to justify. 

Of course Russia isn’t the only oppressive regime that is engaged in such behaviors. 

chasm

dewme said:

Thanks for the clarification. So it’s really just a matter of Apple shutting down the App Store in Russia. That sounds like something that Apple should consider. I can’t imagine the lost revenue would be missed. 

Shutting down the App Store in Russia would only penalize the people who already have Apple devices there. Have you forgotten that the App Store is also how you get updates to your existing apps?

CheeseFreeze

Aaah, good ol’ Apple.
They value privacy and freedom, key company values. Until it hits their wallet, in which case they are happy to look the other way. 

chasm

CheeseFreeze said:

Aaah, good ol’ Apple.
They value privacy and freedom, key company values. Until it hits their wallet, in which case they are happy to look the other way. 

This a gross mischaracterization bordering on libel.

Apple could make a tonne of money off its users in exactly the way Google does — reaping and selling personal information to the highest bidder. More than Google in fact, because Google has to give away their shit to get people to overlook the privacy violations. So Apple could at least double their income if they went that route.

But they don’t.

Even though idiots spew untrue crap with impunity. Maybe get back to your Faux News broadcasts, CF.

melgross

chasm said:

dewme said:

Thanks for the clarification. So it’s really just a matter of Apple shutting down the App Store in Russia. That sounds like something that Apple should consider. I can’t imagine the lost revenue would be missed. 

Shutting down the App Store in Russia would only penalize the people who already have Apple devices there. Have you forgotten that the App Store is also how you get updates to your existing apps?

Of course, but it isn’t that simple. If there’s an embargo, then shouldn’t it be for everything? I suppose it’s a philosophical thing. But then, Apple would have to leave quite a few countries to be even handed. Would Android phones stop selling there, or their software. What about Linux and Windows?