Apple and Google have removed the Russian app VK from their app stores following EU sanctions
Reuters reports on the removal of apps from the App Store and Apple’s official statement. The company stated that it complies with the laws of the countries in which it operates and has removed VK’s services in accordance with sanctions restrictions.
The social media apps ‘VKontakte’ and ‘Odnoklassniki’, as well as VK Messenger, VK Music, VK Video, Mail.ru, ‘Zen’ and other services belonging to the Russian holding company, have disappeared from the Apple Store.
On 16 July, VK apps also became unavailable on Google Play. Among the removed services are VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and the Max messenger. Google has not yet issued a separate public explanation regarding this decision.
The removal from Google Play took place three days after the European Union imposed sanctions against VK and Communication Platform, the company responsible for developing the Max messaging app.
On 13 July, the Council of the EU added four Russian citizens and five companies to its sanctions list, deeming them to be involved in the persecution of citizens, the suppression of freedom of expression and the creation of digital surveillance systems. VK and Communication Platform were included on the list.
The EU Council’s decision states that Max is pre-installed on mobile devices sold in Russia, and that the app itself has extensive capabilities for monitoring users. According to the EU, these functions were used to target people who criticised Russia’s war against Ukraine or published material banned by the Russian authorities.
The sanctions involve the freezing of the companies’ assets within the European Union. EU citizens and businesses are also prohibited from providing them with funds or economic resources.
Apps that have already been installed may remain on users’ devices, but it is not possible to re-download them or receive updates via the App Store or Google Play.
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