The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of Russia (Mintsifry) has characterized Apple's removal of VK applications from the App Store as a "politically motivated decision."
In a statement from the ministry's press service, it was noted that no reasoned position regarding sanctions requirements was received from Apple. The statement confirmed that, in line with opinions obtained from US law firms, there is no basis for blocking VK applications.
The ministry emphasized that Apple completely ignored the socially significant functions of the removed applications, which are used by Russian citizens for information, communication, and education, as well as for warning against emergency risks.
Apple's move was assessed as "a manifestation of unfair competition." The ministry suggested that the company aims to protect the interests of foreign platforms losing market share to Russian applications. It was also underlined that Apple fails to fulfill legal obligations, such as offering a default search engine selection window on its devices and pre-installing a Russian app store.
The Russian ministry has requested the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to urgently review these facts.
On June 25, Apple removed "Zen," VK Video, and several other service applications from the App Store without providing a reason.