On January 22, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) announced that U.S. tech giant Apple has settled a fine of 1.2 billion roubles ($13.65 million). The fine was imposed in response to allegations of Apple’s abuse of its dominant market position, specifically related to in-app payments. Apple, as of Monday, has not provided an immediate response to requests for comment.
This payment follows Apple’s previous stance of “respectfully disagreeing” with a FAS ruling that argued Apple’s distribution of apps through its iOS operating system provided an unfair advantage to its own products. The FAS asserted that Apple completed the payment on January 19, and the funds have been transferred to Russia’s federal budget.
This is not the first antitrust fine Apple has faced in Russia. In February 2023, the FAS reported that Apple paid around $12.1 million to settle another antitrust case, which accused the tech giant of abusing its dominance in the mobile apps market.
Russia has been engaged in ongoing disputes with foreign technology companies, citing concerns over unlawful content and the failure to store user data locally. These tensions have escalated, particularly after Russia deployed troops to Ukraine in February 2022. The resolution of the fine with Apple adds another chapter to the complex relationship between Russia and major global tech entities.