Russian Tech Giant VK Sues Apple Over App Store Removal
- Russian media and regional outlets report that major domestic technology company VK has initiated legal proceedings against Apple in a Moscow arbitration tribunal following the removal of its...
- According to Russian state media RIA Novosti, VK is asking the Moscow Arbitration Court to impose a daily penalty of 58 million rubles, which equates to roughly $700,000,...
- Apple removed VK’s apps from its App Store marketplace in June.
Russian media and regional outlets report that major domestic technology company VK has initiated legal proceedings against Apple in a Moscow arbitration tribunal following the removal of its applications from the U.S. firm’s App Store. The legal action targets American Apple Inc., Russian subsidiary Apple Rus LLC, and Irish entity Apple Distribution International Ltd., seeking to force the reinstatement of the platform’s applications and user notifications.
Lawsuit Details and Daily Penalty Demands
According to Russian state media RIA Novosti, VK is asking the Moscow Arbitration Court to impose a daily penalty of 58 million rubles, which equates to roughly $700,000, if Apple fails to comply with any future ruling. Specifically, the requested daily penalties break down into 50 million rubles (around $605,000) for the main VK platform, 3 million rubles ($36,287) for Odnoklassniki, and 5 million rubles ($60,479) dedicated to VK Music.
The stated goal of the lawsuit is to compel Apple to return the apps to the marketplace and restore users’ ability to receive notifications. In its lawsuit, VK demands that Apple return the company’s apps to the App Store, restore users’ ability to receive notifications from apps, and collect penalties in the event of non-compliance with the court’s decision,
the company stated, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
App Store Delisting and Regulatory Pressures
Apple removed VK’s apps from its App Store marketplace in June. That delisting occurred just days before the European Union imposed sanctions on VK over its role in developing the Kremlin-sanctioned Max messenger. Google subsequently removed the Max messenger from its Google Play store weeks later.
The legal escalation in Moscow follows separate regulatory pressure inside Russia. In August, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) threatened Apple with a 4 billion ruble ($49.7 million) fine over alleged noncompliance with local demands to pre-install Kremlin-sanctioned messaging services.
