Apple takes off US state journalism from Russian App Store
Date
10/21/2024 5:22:33 AM
(MENAFN) Apple has announced the removal of the Current Time TV app, a project of the US state-funded media organization radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from its App Store in Russia. The company informed RFE/RL that the app was taken down due to featuring “content that is illegal in Russia” and for failing to meet necessary verification standards, as detailed in a letter from Apple.
The media network reported that this action was prompted by a request from the Russian media regulator, Roskomnadzor (RKN), which has been increasingly vigilant about content deemed unacceptable within the country. While RKN has not publicly commented on the specific removal of the app, its ongoing efforts to control media narratives in Russia have been well documented.
Founded during the Cold War, RFE/RL was created by the US government to disseminate anti-Soviet and pro-American information, initially receiving funding from the CIA. Today, it remains a state-funded entity and continues to produce content critical of the Russian government. RFE/RL, alongside another US state-run outlet, Voice of America, launched the Current Time project in 2017, aiming to provide Russian-language programming that aligns with Western perspectives.
The backdrop to this removal includes Russia's intensified efforts to block RFE/RL's operations. In March 2022, the Russian government blocked access to RFE/RL, accusing it of disseminating “false information” regarding the conflict in Ukraine. By February 2024, the network and all its subsidiaries, including Current Time, were officially blacklisted in Russia, further complicating its ability to operate within the country.
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