Apple Fined for Transactions to Russia, Allegedly Violating International Sanctions

JAKARTA - Technology giant Apple has stumbled again on a global issue. This time, its subsidiary in Ireland was fined by British regulators after allegedly violating sanctions against Russia related to the conflict in Ukraine.

The fine of around 517 thousand US dollars was imposed by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), following the finding that Apple had possibly made payments in violation of financial restrictions on Russian entities.

This case began with a transaction by Apple Distribution International - Apple's Irish-based unit - which reportedly made a payment to the Russian streaming service, Okko.

Old Transaction, New Problem

According to the regulator's report, Apple voluntarily disclosed a payment of US$844,145 to Okko in October 2022. The funds came from user purchases through the App Store, where Apple acted as an intermediary before passing on the payment to the app developer.

But problems arose because two payments were made after sanctions were imposed, including after the entity associated with Okko was included in the UK sanctions list.

The regulator said the breach occurred "based on a balance of probabilities," a legal standard that indicates an infringement is more likely than not.

The case is also related to Okko's change of ownership. The platform was previously owned by Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, before it was sold to a Moscow-based company in May 2022 - a move that US think tanks have described as an attempt to evade sanctions.

Although it could face fines of up to $1.3 million, the amount imposed on Apple was reduced because the company was cooperative, including voluntarily disclosing the violation and not appealing.

OFSI itself rarely imposes financial sanctions, but since February 2026 it has begun to speed up the process of handling cases. The fine against Apple was one of the first under the new scheme.

This case adds to Apple's list of legal challenges in various jurisdictions. Previously, in 2024, the company was also fined by Russian authorities of 13.7 million US dollars related to App Store practices before the war.

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