Apple Removes Russia’s VK from App Store

According to reports, Apple has removed VK, a homegrown Facebook competitor in Russia, from its App Store across the globe, citing conflicts with sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom. In a statement, Apple said the app will continue to work on smartphones that had already installed it before the takedown, but has warned users that there might be difficulties with payments and notifications.

The statement continued, in recent months, important updates have been implemented on their main products that will allow the apps to remain relevant for a long time, and their experts are doing their best to continue and maintain a better user experience.

According to Apple, in order to comply with these sanctions, Apple has terminated the developer accounts associated with such apps, and the apps cannot be downloaded from any App Store. Users who have already downloaded these apps might continue to use them.

The ministry of digital affairs of Russia said it had pushed Apple to giving a reason for the deletion, highlighting the scale and social significance of use of the services that are provided by the Russian company, and that a plan of action will follow the company’s response.