--- title: "Apple removes Russia’s largest social network from the App Store" description: "After Yandex, which serves as Russia's equivalent of Google, VK is the country's second-largest internet corporation." author: "Muskan Singh" published: 2022-09-28 updated: 2022-09-29 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/news/2030/apple-removes-russia-s-largest-social-network-from-the-app-store category: "technology" tags: ["apple", "apps", "russia", "social networks"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # Apple removes Russia’s largest social network from the App Store **Apple has removed VK's iOS apps from its global App Store.** VK is the [technology](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13005/the-functional-aspects-of-laser-technology) company that runs [**Russia's**](https://www.mindstick.com/news/1797/russia-imposed-34-million-fine-on-google-for-violating-the-competition-rules) equivalent of Facebook, VKontakte. The Verge quotes VK as saying that despite Apple 'blocking' its apps, it will 'continue to create and maintain iOS applications.' VK's apps have been withdrawn, and its developer accounts have been closed, according to [**Apple**](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2020/9-year-old-indian-girl-develops-an-ios-app-apple-ceo-tim-cook-congratulates-her) spokesperson **Adam Dema**, who responded to a question from the website. In a statement, Dema was cited as claiming that 'these programmes are being [distributed](https://answers.mindstick.com/blog/43/how-do-you-handle-failures-in-distributed-systems) by [developers](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12875/blunders-you-must-avoid-while-hiring-java-developers-to-get-the-best-fulfilling-your-needs) majority-owned or majority-[controlled](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81837/has-pakistan-controlled-corona-pandemic) by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK [government](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/276/performance-of-government-in-the-center).' '**Apple terminated the developer accounts linked to these apps in order to comply with these sanctions, and the apps are no longer available for download from any App Store, anywhere in the world.** The apps can still be used by anyone who have already downloaded them, he noted. In response to recent phoney referendums held by Moscow in sections of occupied Ukraine, the UK government this week imposed further sanctions on Russian oligarchs. The sanctions apply to 23 officials at the Russian bank, Gazprombank, which has [connections](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/87707/baba-siddique-murder-news-his-connections-with-underworld) to VK. **After Yandex, which is the nation's version of** [**Google**](https://www.mindstick.com/news/1930/zoom-s-easy-trick-to-unmute-has-been-stolen-by-google-meet), **VK is the second-largest internet corporation in Russia.** **Pavel Durov** founded the [social media](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13056/how-to-leverage-social-media-to-attract-lots-of-blog-traffic) company in 2006 but was ultimately fired for his 'refusal to cooperate with the authorities.' The well-known messaging service Telegram is now run by him. --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/news/2030/apple-removes-russia-s-largest-social-network-from-the-app-store Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.