Russia’s antitrust agency seeks clarification from Apple on limited payment options

Russia’s antitrust regulations: Russia's antitrust agency has reached out to Apple, seeking clarification on why Russian users of Apple devices are unable to access the full range of banking and payment services. Apple has yet to respond to this inquiry, issued outside of US business hours.

Over the past two years, Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has imposed fines totalling approximately $26 million on Apple, citing instances of what it views as the tech giant's abuse of its dominant position within the mobile apps market and in-app payments.

Apple has previously contested FAS rulings, expressing respectful disagreement with the agency's assertion that Apple's app distribution methods through its iOS operating system conferred a competitive advantage to its products.

The FAS highlighted that most Russian banks have been removed from the App Store, with Apple restricting users from installing apps from sources other than its store. Consequently, this restriction impedes the functioning of Russian banks and contactless services.

In a statement, the FAS declared Apple's actions as potentially violating antimonopoly legislation and requested the company to provide a detailed and reasoned position on the matter.

In a separate development, Apple recently announced significant concessions in Europe to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), allowing developers to distribute their apps directly to consumers, a move aimed at addressing concerns over the dominance of the App Store on iPhones and other devices.

(With Reuters inputs)