Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said in a written statement that it demanded Apple end discrimination against Russian search engines and ensure pre-installation of local software on iOS devices. FAS said that if Apple does not comply with this warning by July 15, an investigation will be launched under competition law and it could be fined up to 4 billion rubles.
The statement pointed out that currently iPhones and iPads come with a foreign search engine as default, forcing users who want to use Russian search engines to manually change settings. FAS emphasized that this practice creates discriminatory conditions for Russian software developers and violates consumer rights.
Pre-installing Russian search engines and certain local software on smart devices sold in Russia is a legal requirement. Apple could face severe financial penalties if it does not comply with this law.
Meanwhile, Russian tech company VK announced on June 25 that its apps were removed from the App Store without any warning, halting downloads and updates. Apple had earlier removed Russia's national messaging app MAX from the App Store in early June.