Apple Removes Independent Media Apps From The Russian App Store At Government Pressure

JAKARTA - Apple removed the Current Time app from the Russian version of the App Store after local authorities claimed the app contained "unintended" content.

Current Time is a Russian-language independent media service managed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and this removal was carried out on Roskomnadzor's orders, Russia's media watchdog body.

According to RFE/RL, Apple told app developers that the agency stated the application contained illegal content and came from an "unintended" organization.

RFE/RL is an independent organization funded by a grant from the US Agency for Global Media, which aims to broadcast independent media in countries that limit free reporting, including Russia.

This deletion came after the Current Time television broadcast was stopped in Russia due to pressure from the government through the Federal Tax Service, which threatened to bankrupt the organization. Now, the broadcast can only be accessed through an application that has now also been removed.

The move reflects Russia's efforts to intensify the independent media since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Apple has responded to criticism regarding this abolition saying it must comply with the laws in the countries they operate in.