Key Points
- Apple deleted RFE/RL’s Russian-language news app, Svoboda, from the Russian App Store at Roskomnadzor’s request.
- Apple previously removed 25 VPN apps from its App Store in Russia, restricting access to censored content.
- RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, previously convicted of spreading “false information” about the Russian military, was released in a prisoner swap.
- Apple halted product sales and limited services in Russia following the Ukraine invasion.
Apple has removed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Russian-language news app, Svoboda, from the Russian App Store at the request of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state communications regulator. The removal comes amid increasing restrictions on independent media in Russia. Apple and Roskomnadzor have yet to comment on the matter.
The app features content from RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities and North.Realities projects are still accessible on mobile devices in Russia, according to Reuters reporters. Svoboda’s removal aligns with Moscow’s broader efforts to control information following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, where it has blacklisted dozens of opposition media websites and banned several foreign social media platforms.
Russian authorities frequently accuse independent media outlets of disseminating false information, often targeting reports critical of the government or military. RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, previously convicted of spreading “false information” about the Russian military, was released in a prisoner swap on August 1. RFE/RL CEO Stephen Capus described her trial as “a mockery of justice.”
The deletion of the Svoboda app is not an isolated incident. In July, Apple also removed 25 virtual private network (VPN) apps from its App Store in Russia at Roskomnadzor’s request. These VPNs enabled users to bypass online censorship, offering access to blocked websites and content.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Apple has significantly scaled back its operations in Russia, pausing all product sales and limiting its Apple Pay service in the country. These measures reflect the company’s response to mounting international tensions and Russia’s growing isolation.
