Apple Inc. has settled its dues with the Russian government by paying a substantial fine of 1.2 billion rubles ($13.2 million), as confirmed by Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS).
The fine imposition came after FAS discovered Apple’s non-compliance with Russia’s anti-monopoly laws in July 2022, specifically about the restriction placed on app developers regarding the communication of alternative purchasing avenues beyond the App Store.
This development occurs amidst the backdrop of Western sanctions severing Russia’s connection to international payment systems, a move prompted by Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
Apple complied fully with the fine, amounting to 1.18 billion rubles ($13.2 million), as acknowledged by FAS in their recent statement.
Despite this significant financial transaction, Apple has maintained silence over the matter publicly.
Notably, this isn’t Apple’s first encounter with antitrust penalties in Russia. The tech titan previously resolved a 906 million rubles ($10.1 million) fine resulting from a 2020 lawsuit filed by Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab.
FAS’s latest announcement aligns with the ongoing exodus of numerous Western enterprises from Russia, a direct response to the country’s military incursion into Ukraine.
The Russian government has been engaged in ongoing disputes with international tech firms, largely centered around content regulations and the local storage of user data. These tensions have escalated since Russia deployed troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
In response to the conflict in Ukraine, Apple promptly halted its product sales in Russia and scaled back the availability of its Apple Pay service in the country.
