Russian Government Forces Apple To Remove Independent News Apps

JAKARTA - Russian government pressure on technology companies continues. This time, Apple was forced to remove a number of independent news apps from the App Store, including an app managed by RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

In a statement, RFE/RL revealed that Apple has removed their Russian service application, which includes regional sites such as Siberia. Realities and North.Realities. This step was taken after Russia's media regulatory agency, Roskomnadzor, stated that the application contained material from an organization deemed "unwanted" in Russia.

Not only that, Apple has previously removed the RFE/RL application for Kyrgyzstan and Current Time services, a Russian-language digital TV network managed by RFE/RL. In fact, several Russian-language podcasts produced by independent journalists were also removed or hidden from the Apple Podcasts catalog in the region.

Apple's decision is not without reason. As an App Store service provider, Apple must comply with local government rules in the countries they operate in. The options are often only two: complying with the government's request to remove certain applications or risk closing the country's total App Store services.

Apple had previously taken drastic steps by stopping operations as a provider of mobile retail and payments in Russia, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, in terms of application availability, the company faces a tough challenge to continue providing access to independent applications without violating local rules.

This move adds to the long list of pressures on the independent media in Russia. In recent years, the Russian government has tightened controls on digital media and platforms, by labeling many organizations as foreign agents or unintended.

Radio FreeEurope/Radio Liberty, funded by the United States government, has long been the target of Russia's crackdown. Nonetheless, they continue to try to provide independent information to the Russian people, especially in areas where access is limited to news that is not government-controlled.

This situation shows how global technology companies like Apple should continue to run on a thin line between complying with local laws and supporting information freedom around the world.