Russia claims Apple has paid $13.4M antitrust fine

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) claims that Apple has paid a $13.4 million fine relating to anti-competitive practices.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the fine – originally levied at 1.2 billion rubles (then worth $17.4 million) in September 2022 – was confirmed as received by Russian authorities.

"On January 19, 2024, Apple paid the fine. The money was received by the government of the Russian Federation," said the FAS.

The fine stems...

Play Store blocks users in Russia from purchasing or updating paid apps

Google is blocking users in Russia from purchasing or updating paid applications as the fallout continues from the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The company paused billing for Russian users on 10 March 2022 due to sanctions imposed on the country. That decision impacted new app purchases, as well as in-app purchases and subscription payments.

However, Google has now updated its policy and says that it is “blocking the downloading of paid apps and updates to paid...

‘Protestware’ emerges amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

Some open-source developers are using their projects to target users in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The invasion of Ukraine has been almost internationally condemned. The actions of Russian forces are being investigated for numerous war crimes and the targeting of civilians in areas like Mariupol has equated to genocide.

State-controlled media and harsh penalties for protests mean that a large number of Russians believe the Kremlin’s narrative...