Russia opens antitrust case against Apple over app rules

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has launched a formal antitrust case against Apple ↘ 0.80% after the U.S. technology company failed to fully comply with requirements to pre-install domestic software on iPhones and iPads sold in the country, according to Reuters and Russia's state news agency RIA.reuters+1

What the Regulator Wants

The FAS said Apple only partially implemented changes demanded in a regulatory warning issued in early July, which required the company to eliminate what the agency described as discriminatory practices affecting Russian search engines and software on iOS devices. Specifically, Apple did not fulfill the requirement to enable pre-installation of Russia's national messaging platform, MAX, and the RuStore domestic app marketplace.aa+1

Apple was originally given until July 15 to comply. The FAS noted, however, that Apple informed the regulator that an updated software version released on July 27 allows users to pre-install a Russian search engine, representing partial compliance.english.pravda

Potential Penalties and Legal Basis

If the investigation concludes that Apple violated Russia's Competition Protection Law, the company could face an administrative fine of up to 4 billion rubles under the country's Code of Administrative Offenses. The FAS said the decision to open the case follows previous enforcement actions against Apple that were upheld by Russian courts.globalbankingandfinance+1

Under Russian law, technically complex electronic devices sold in the country must support a Russian search engine — or one from another member state of the Eurasian Economic Union — as the default search option.english.pravda

Broader Regulatory Pressure

The case comes amid wider international scrutiny of Apple's platform practices. The FAS said competition authorities in several countries, including members of the BRICS group, are reviewing complaints from consumers and app developers alleging discriminatory practices by the company. Russia has required the pre-installation of MAX messenger and RuStore on all mobile devices sold in the country since September 2025.aa+2

Apple has not publicly commented on the case.