Russia now requires Apple to store user communications and hand them over if requested
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Apple and Microsoft were added on Oct. 2 to Russia’s “organizers of information dissemination” registry, joining services such as Google Meet, WhatsApp and Telegram. The registry, overseen by Roskomnadzor, obliges listed firms to store all Russian users’ messages, audio and video communications and to hand that data to security agencies on request. Non‑compliance can trigger fines and blocking of companies’ services in the country. The move follows a broader Kremlin effort to tighten control over foreign messaging platforms, after earlier bans on WhatsApp, Signal and restrictions on Apple’s FaceTime. Apple’s relationship with Russia has already been strained by the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, sales suspensions, payment limits and antitrust proceedings over pre‑installation. Neither Apple nor Microsoft has commented on whether they will comply.
💡 Why It Matters
- · The requirement forces two of the world’s biggest software ecosystems to become de‑facto data custodians for Russian authorities, testing the limits of their global privacy commitments.
