Russia orders Apple to surrender users' messages on demand
Apple and Microsoft have been added to a Russian state surveillance registry, requiring them to hand over users' text, video and audio messages without a legal process, and by request. Moscow at night (Credit: Evgenit/Pixabay) Multiple firms and apps are already on this same list, including WhatsApp and Telegram, so it's not clear why it has taken until now for Apple to be added. It's a…
Russia has ordered Apple to provide users' messages, including text, video, and audio communications, upon demand without a legal process. Apple and Microsoft have joined a list of other companies, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, that are required to comply with this surveillance registry in Russia. This move comes after Russia blocked FaceTime in 2025 and follows the country's efforts to control users' messages.
The registry, operated by the state media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, mandates that Apple store local users' correspondence for up to three years on servers within Russia. Apple and Microsoft have not yet commented publicly on the new requirements. Apple typically adheres to laws in international markets, and has previously removed features in countries with unfavorable regulations, such as disabling Advanced Data Protection in the UK in 2025.
Apple opened an office in Moscow in 2022 but has never had Apple Stores in Russia or sold its products online within the country since 2022. Apple reported itself to regulators in March 2026, leading to a fine in the UK for potentially breaching sanctions against Russia.
Written by urgent.news from AppleInsider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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