Russia Demands Apple Remove Telegram From Russian App Store
Published on May 30, 2018 at 02:20AM
The Russian government is asking Apple to help it block Telegram by removing it from the country’s App Store. Mac Rumors reports: A Russian court in April ordered carriers and internet providers in the country to block Telegram back in April, after Telegram refused to provide Russia with backdoor access to user messages. Despite issuing the block order back in April, Russia has only been able to disrupt Telegram’s operations in the country by 15 to 30 percent. Given the government’s inability to block the app, Roskomnadzor, the division of the government that controls media and telecommunications, has demanded that Apple remove the Telegram app from the Russian App Store. The group first asked Apple to remove the app in April, but is appealing to Apple again.

“In order to avoid possible action by Roskomnadzor for violations of the functioning of the above-mentioned Apple Inc. service, we ask you to inform us as soon as possible about your company’s further actions to resolve the problematic issue,” the regulator wrote. Roskomnadzor has given Apple one month to remove the Telegram app from the App Store. Roskomnadzor’s director Alexander Zharov said he did not want to “forecast further actions” should Apple not comply with the request following the 30 day period.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.