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Moscow — A Moscow court fined Apple 400,000 roubles ($4,274) on Thursday for not deleting “inaccurate” content about what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported.
The Tass news agency said it was Apple’s first fine for that offence.
Apple did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The company paused all product sales in Russia shortly after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and limited its Apple Pay service in Russia.
Moscow has clashed with Big Tech for years over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that escalated after Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine.
Apple paid a 906-million rouble fine in a Russian antitrust case alleging abuse of its dominance in the mobile apps market, Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said in February.
Apple, which did not say then, had previously appealed and “respectfully disagreed” with a FAS ruling that Apple’s distribution of apps through its iOS operating system gave its own products a competitive advantage.
The same court later said it had fined the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, 3-million roubles for the same offence.
Wikimedia has been fined several times. It has said information that Russian authorities complained about was well-sourced and in line with Wikipedia standards.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Russia fines Apple for ‘inaccurate’ content
Penalty relates to reporting on war in Ukraine
Moscow — A Moscow court fined Apple 400,000 roubles ($4,274) on Thursday for not deleting “inaccurate” content about what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported.
The Tass news agency said it was Apple’s first fine for that offence.
Apple did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The company paused all product sales in Russia shortly after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and limited its Apple Pay service in Russia.
Moscow has clashed with Big Tech for years over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that escalated after Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine.
Apple paid a 906-million rouble fine in a Russian antitrust case alleging abuse of its dominance in the mobile apps market, Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said in February.
Apple, which did not say then, had previously appealed and “respectfully disagreed” with a FAS ruling that Apple’s distribution of apps through its iOS operating system gave its own products a competitive advantage.
The same court later said it had fined the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, 3-million roubles for the same offence.
Wikimedia has been fined several times. It has said information that Russian authorities complained about was well-sourced and in line with Wikipedia standards.
Reuters
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