Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Apple faces Russian data retention and disclosure requirements after being added to the country's state surveillance registry, Bloomberg reports. Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, listed Apple and Microsoft on October 2 as "organizers of information dissemination," a classification that carries obligations to preserve communications and make data available to Russian security…
Apple has been added to Russia's state surveillance registry, Bloomberg reports, requiring the tech giant to preserve communications and make data available to Russian security agencies. The classification, announced by Roskomnadzor on October 2, means Apple must retain correspondence and messages with audio or video for three years, including identifying user information.
Non-compliance could result in fines and service restrictions. Apple joins other services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat on the registry, following Russia's December 2025 block on FaceTime. The designation stems from Russia's December 2025 restrictions on FaceTime, WhatsApp, Telegram, and other services, citing alleged use for terrorism, recruitment, and fraud. Apple had already suspended operations in Russia in March 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine.
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