Russia now requires Apple to store user communications and hand them over if requested

Apple and Microsoft are now required by Russian regulations to store user communications and hand them over to security agencies if requested, according to Bloomberg. Both companies have been added to Russia's state surveillance registry, joining services such as Google Meet, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Cloudflare, and Blizzard Entertainment.

The registry, maintained by Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor, requires these companies to store users' messages, audio, and video communications locally and provide them to security agencies upon request. They must also store user information and communication transmission data in Russia for three years. Non-compliance can result in fines and restricted access to their services in Russia.

Google and its Google Meet service were added to the registry in January. This development comes as Russia tightens restrictions on foreign messaging services, having already blocked or limited access to platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Apple's FaceTime, in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Apple's relationship with Russia has been strained since the invasion, with the company suspending product sales and exports and facing disputes with local authorities.

In April, Russian users lost the ability to make new App Store purchases without an existing Apple Account balance, and in June, Apple removed apps developed by a state-controlled Russian company and banking apps linked to sanctioned Russian financial institutions. Russia's antitrust regulator has also opened formal proceedings against Apple for failing to preinstall state-backed messaging apps on its devices.

Despite these actions, Apple and Microsoft have not publicly commented on their inclusion in the registry or their plans to comply with the requirements.