Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has initiated proceedings against Apple for failing to pre-install the domestic messenger Max and the Russian app marketplace RuStore on iPhones and iPads, the regulator announced on Monday. The case follows a formal warning issued in early July that required the US corporation to end discriminatory conditions for Russian search engines and to comply with national software pre-installation rules. Apple partially met the demand by enabling users to select a Russian search engine by default in a software update released from 27 July, but it did not ensure the pre-installation of Max or RuStore, the FAS stated.

Under Russian legislation in force since April 2021, manufacturers of technically complex goods sold in the country must provide for the default operation of a Russian search engine or one from a Eurasian Economic Union member state. A separate law that takes effect in 2025 will oblige all smartphones and tablets to carry Russian app stores, a measure that officials have openly said targets Apple because the company does not permit third-party app installations on its devices. The FAS said its case is grounded in the Law on Protection of Competition and in earlier enforcement practice against Apple that has been upheld by the courts.

Apple has not sold devices officially in Russia since 2022 and halted direct supplies, though its products continue to reach consumers through grey imports. The company nonetheless maintains a working relationship with Russian authorities, regularly removing applications from the Russian segment of the App Store at the request of the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor. In June, Apple deleted Max and VK services from the App Store, citing sanctions; the Russian digital ministry called the move politically motivated competition. In early July, the European Union sanctioned the legal entity behind Max and VK, after which their apps also disappeared from Google Play.

The FAS has previously fined Apple 906 million roubles for abusing its dominant position in the iOS app distribution market, a penalty confirmed by a court in 2023. The regulator has also demanded explanations for the blocking of Russian contactless payment systems and the removal of contractual clauses that allow Apple to reject third-party apps for any reason. Negotiations between Russian authorities, development institutions and business representatives over allowing RuStore into the App Store have not yet produced an agreement. If the current case confirms a breach of competition law, Apple faces an administrative fine, the FAS said, without specifying a timeline for a ruling.