Russia has initiated an antitrust case against Apple, potentially fining the tech giant nearly $50 million for failing to preinstall state-backed applications on its devices sold in the country. The apps in question include Max, a messaging service, and RuStore, a domestic app store.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) stated that Apple "did not comply with the FAS warning to preinstall the national messaging app and the national app store on its iOS devices (iPhone, iPad)." The FAS has opened a case based on competition law and previous enforcement practices concerning Apple.

This action follows years of threats from Russia. While Apple does not directly sell devices in Russia since March 2022, all sales are conducted through third parties. Apple has previously complied with some Russian demands, such as allowing a Russian search engine preinstallation, but has also removed VPN and independent media apps from its App Store in Russia. The company has faced other fines in Russia, including a $12.12 million penalty in February 2023 for its in-app purchase policies. Despite past compliance, the relationship remains strained, with accusations of state-sponsored spyware and US-backed spying on iPhone users exchanged between Apple and Russian authorities.