To resolve a long-running antitrust dispute, Apple reportedly paid a fine worth 1.2 billion rubles (about $13.4 million) imposed by Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Services (FAS).
The payment, received by the Russian government on January 19, according to the Russian news agency TASmarks the end of an FAS investigation that began in July 2022.
The central issue centered on Apple's alleged decision to force Russian iOS developers to use Apple's payment tool within their apps, which the FAS said fostered an anti-competitive environment.
Apple pays a fine of 13 million dollars to Russia
The regulator said: “On January 19, 2024, Apple paid the fine. The money was received by the government of the Russian Federation.”
The fine of 1,178 million rubles was equivalent, at the time of its issuance, to about 17.4 million dollars. Geopolitical circumstances have caused the value of the Russian ruble to plummet, which in turn has significantly reduced Apple's fine in terms of dollar value.
According to the FAS, “App Store rules prohibited iOS app developers from informing customers within the app about the possibility of paying for purchases outside the App Store and using alternative payment methods.”
While Apple clearly paid the fine, it's still unclear whether the tech giant has agreed to modify its App Store policy to encourage third-party payment options.
Despite the current challenges in Russia, Apple continues to operate its App Store in the country, even after suspending sales of products and services like Apple Pay in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
However, some sanctions have proven unsuccessful. Parallel imports are allowed, for example, meaning that other stores can still have the latest Apple hardware in stock.
TechRadar Pro He asked Apple to share a comment on the fine, but the company did not immediately respond.
