Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service Opens Case Against Apple

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has officially opened a case against Apple. The move follows the American technology giant’s failure to comply with a previously issued warning, Tass.ru reports. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to the agency, Apple failed to meet requirements to provide the option of preinstalling the national Max messenger and RuStore app store on its iPhone and iPad devices. This was deemed contrary to the country’s competition protection legislation.

Legal Requirements and Court Practice

Antimonopoly Service representatives noted that their position on such matters has been upheld repeatedly in previous court proceedings. Nevertheless, the company has continued to delay compliance with some requirements.

In particular, it was noted that an updated iOS version released on July 27 this year introduced the option to preinstall a Russian search engine. However, requirements concerning the national messenger and the alternative app store, which is also familiar to Uzbek users, have still not been met.

New Legislative Requirements

As a reminder, Russia’s law banning restrictions on installing the RuStore app store on mobile devices took effect on September 1, 2025. From that date, preinstalling the national Max messenger also became mandatory on all smartphones and tablets sold in the country.

The antimonopoly agency is currently continuing its investigation into the case. If Apple is found guilty of violating the law, relevant financial sanctions or restrictions may be imposed on the company.