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Russia Mulls Apple Pay Cutoff Amid App Store Row
(MENAFN) Russia is escalating pressure on Apple by weighing a suspension of App Store payments through mobile phone balances — a retaliatory move aimed at forcing the tech giant to restore banned Russian applications, local media reported Monday.
Russia's Digital Development Ministry held consultations with the country's leading mobile carriers on March 28 regarding the proposed payment freeze, a state news agency reported, citing a government source familiar with the discussions.
In a separate development, a news agency reported that Apple ID balance top-ups via mobile accounts will be blocked entirely starting April 1. "The Big Four (main Russian mobile operators) have received instructions from the Digital Development Ministry to disable this option," the news agency said, citing sources, adding that the stated reason was the need to prevent payment for VPN services.
Currently, subscribers of MTS and Beeline can charge Apple purchases directly to their mobile accounts, while customers of T2 and MegaFon access the same feature through third-party partners.
The standoff stems from two distinct removal tracks affecting Russian apps on the App Store. Apple routinely pulls applications flagged by Russian authorities for hosting content classified as illegal under domestic law — a category that frequently targets VPN providers. Separately, mounting U.S. sanctions have compelled Apple to delist apps tied to Russian banks and financial platforms, cutting off millions of users from critical payment tools.
The dual measures signal a broader Kremlin strategy to leverage domestic market access as a bargaining chip against Western tech firms operating under geopolitical constraints.
Russia's Digital Development Ministry held consultations with the country's leading mobile carriers on March 28 regarding the proposed payment freeze, a state news agency reported, citing a government source familiar with the discussions.
In a separate development, a news agency reported that Apple ID balance top-ups via mobile accounts will be blocked entirely starting April 1. "The Big Four (main Russian mobile operators) have received instructions from the Digital Development Ministry to disable this option," the news agency said, citing sources, adding that the stated reason was the need to prevent payment for VPN services.
Currently, subscribers of MTS and Beeline can charge Apple purchases directly to their mobile accounts, while customers of T2 and MegaFon access the same feature through third-party partners.
The standoff stems from two distinct removal tracks affecting Russian apps on the App Store. Apple routinely pulls applications flagged by Russian authorities for hosting content classified as illegal under domestic law — a category that frequently targets VPN providers. Separately, mounting U.S. sanctions have compelled Apple to delist apps tied to Russian banks and financial platforms, cutting off millions of users from critical payment tools.
The dual measures signal a broader Kremlin strategy to leverage domestic market access as a bargaining chip against Western tech firms operating under geopolitical constraints.
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