The international tech giant Apple has just paid off a 1.2 billion dollar fine (approximately $ 13.7 million), that was issued by the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service FAS and proved to be quite a considerable one. On January 19th, this payment was in response to accusations that the company violated its dominant position within the sphere of app payments.

Although Apple stopped direct sales and operations in Russia due to the Ukraine conflict, its presence continues undiminished. For instance, various models of iPhones continue to enjoy popularity while being regularly imported from third countries and costing much more than in the United States.
Over the past few years, these tensions have sharpened significantly; several tech companies including Google are currently dealing with similar challenges and fines from Russian authorities.
 

Not the first case?
Notably, this is not the first fine Apple has had to pay in Russia. In a different anti-trust case the firm was penalized almost $10.1 million. These fines are only one element of a broader trend in terms of regulatory actions taken by the FAS against leading tech firms.

Apple’s payment of the fine is consistent with the US Treasury Department, involving transactions regarding American companies and foreign states under sanctions that are run by OFAC. This move by Apple represents a sophisticated balancing act between global relations and business challenges in the face of geopolitical tensions.

In addition, the conflict with Russia’s FAS arose before the Ukraine invasion which confirms that Apple has been experiencing such regulatory issues for a long time. Internationally, the firm has been under fire due to its App Store policies. Due to a ruling made by a US federal court, Apple has changed its policies and now provides developers with greater freedom in guiding their customers away from within the apps themselves. The EU is also driving the changes pushing for "sideloading" which would allow iPhone users to download apps from elsewhere other than the App Store.

However, even after relocating its office from Moscow at the end of 2023 Apple has two Legal entities in Russia. Apple has also made efforts to abide by the Western sanctions including removing apps from Russian propaganda organizations and banning Russian banks on its mobile store.