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Russia Pressures Apple to Make Russian Search Engines Default on Russian iPhones

By  |  October 21, 2025

Russia’s main antitrust authority has ordered Apple to set Russian-made search engines, such as Yandex or Mail.ru, as the default option on iPhones and other devices sold in the country, according to a statement. The move, authorities said, is aimed at ensuring compliance with domestic consumer protection laws and reducing what they describe as unfair advantages for foreign technology companies.

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    Per a statement, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) accused Apple of favoring non-Russian search engines in its current device configuration, thereby putting local competitors at a “competitive disadvantage.” The regulator stated that under Russian law, all smartphones and electronic devices sold domestically must include a preinstalled search engine developed in Russia or another member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). That search engine must also be set as the default and work immediately after purchase, without user adjustments.

    The FAS has given Apple until October 31 to comply with the order or face potential fines. The Russian Ministry of Digital Development also issued a warning, sending a letter to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, cautioning that failure to act could lead to “serious consequences,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Officials pointed to Google’s previous decision to allow Russian users to select their preferred search engine as an example of compliance.

    Read more: Elon Musk Sues Apple Over iPhone Integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT

    Apple has not issued a public response to the regulator’s directive. According to the Wall Street Journal, this latest dispute adds to a long list of tensions between the U.S. technology company and Moscow. In 2022, Apple was fined more than $13 million after the FAS accused it of abusing its dominant position in the iOS app market.

    Apple ceased direct product sales in Russia in March 2022 following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine and also limited some services, such as Apple Pay. Nevertheless, its devices continue to circulate widely through “parallel imports,” which allow retailers to bring genuine goods into Russia without the manufacturer’s approval.

    Despite scaling back its presence, Apple has previously complied with certain Russian government requests. Last year, the company removed a news application by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from the Russian App Store and restricted access to podcasts produced by independent media outlets including The Insider, Echo of Moscow, and BBC Russia.

    Source: The Record