APPLE REMOVES RUSSIA’S LARGEST SOCIAL NETWORK APP FROM APP STORE

Wed 28 September 2022:

A number of apps owned by Russian technology giant VK have been removed by Apple from the App Store. VKontakte, an app that has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times from the Apple App Store, was one of the apps in this group.

Even though Apple has “blocked some VK applications,” VK says it will “continue to develop and support iOS applications.”

According to RT, the Russian Ministry of Digital Affairs is looking into “the reasons for deleting VK applications and developer accounts, underlining the social significance and scale of use of the services provided by the Russian company.”

The Google Play Store currently offers the same apps that VK developed.

Numerous social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, are blocked in Russia. It appears that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted behind Apple’s app ban.

Pavel Durov founded Vkontakte in 2006. Same individual who created the secure messaging app Telegram. According to The Verge, Durov was fired from the company for refusing to “cooperate with the authorities.”

Along with VKontakte, the Apple App Store has removed numerous other VK-produced applications, including Mail.ru, VK Music, and Youla Classifieds. According to Russia’s Interfax, users who already have the apps installed may experience problems with notifications and payments.

Apple stopped selling its goods in Russia earlier this year and also restricted access to many Russian news apps. This was implemented after sanctions made it impossible for Russians to use Google Pay and Apple Pay.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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