The App Store is a powerful digital ecosystem.
8 Facebook x.com Reddit
Last updated 8 hours ago
Apple has removed the Current Time app from the Russian version of its App Store, telling the developer that local authorities claim that it contains “objectionable” content.
Current Time is an independent Russian-language media service and website operated by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). It was removed at the insistence of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulatory agency. According to RFE/RL, Apple told the developer that the agency claimed the app contained illegal content as well as material from an “objectionable” organization.
RFE/RL operates independently and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The U.S. agency produces radio and television broadcasts targeting countries that restrict independent media, including about 23 countries.
The app’s removal follows Current Time’s broadcasts being suspended in Russia after the government used its Federal Tax Service to threaten the organization with bankruptcy. Consequently, the broadcasts were only available through the app, which has now been removed.
Russia's efforts to suppress independent media have intensified since it invaded Ukraine in 2022. Apple has responded to criticism over the takedowns by saying it must act within the laws of the countries it serves.
Follow AppleInsider on Google News
