Apple and Google reportedly remove opposition election app from Russian app stores
Apple and Google reportedly comply with Russian authorities to take an election app offline
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AppleandGooglehave reportedly pulled a vote-assisting smartphone app from Russian app stores ahead of the country’s parliamentary election, according toReuters.
The ‘Smart Voting’ app was created by supporters of Alexei Navalny, imprisoned critic of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin. Those supporters intended to use the mobile app to coordinate a tactical voting campaign to oppose the United Russia party, which is favored to win.
Earlier in the month, the Russian governmentdemandedGoogle and Apple remove the app from their respective app stores – failure to do so would be considered meddling in the election.
Analysis: politics draw Apple and Google out of neutrality
Apple and Google each have complex histories dealing with the demands of governments while offering services in their countries. In 2020, Applecompliedwith Chinese authorities in suspending updates to apps that hadn’t been officially approved, while earlier in 2021, the companyconcededto storing customer data from users in the country on Chinese soil.
More recently, RussiablockedVPNs ahead of the parliamentary elections and fined Google and Facebook for not removing content violating the country’s laws – and specifically demanded Google and Apple remove the ‘Smart Voting’ app.
After the app was removed, critics fired back, with Ivan Zhdanov, Executive Director of Navalny’s Team, tweeting that the move was “a mockery of common sense”:
Формальное основание удаления приложений: признание ФБК экстремистской организацией. То, как ФБК признавали экстремистской организацией – было не судом, а издевательством над здравым смыслом. @google @Apple совершают огромную ошибку. pic.twitter.com/3AG4tHXdZpSeptember 17, 2021
He also embedded a supposed screenshot of Apple’s notification that the ‘Smart Voting’ app had been taken down, which explained it was “because it includes content that is illegal in Russia, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.”
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ViaAppleInsider
David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He’s most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.
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