Apple allows Russian social media apps from VK again in the App Store

Apple lifts the ban on VKontakte and Mail.ru, among others. The applications were removed from the virtual app store due to British sanctions, but Apple says it has received proof that the Russian government does not have a majority stake in the developers of the apps.

After the invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions against parent company VK, which owns, among other things, the Russian Facebook equivalent VKontakte and mail service Mail.ru. Apple had to ask the developer several times for documents to verify whether the removal from the app store was justified. That has now happened, says a spokesperson for the App Store operator opposite The Verge. “After removing the applications from the App Store, the developer provided the necessary information to confirm that the company is not owned by a sanctioned entity.”

VK is a Russian conglomerate that offers a variety of applications, including the most popular Russian social medium. Due to alleged links with the Russian government, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the developer in September, which prevented, among others, VKontakte, VK Music and Yula from being downloadable from the App Store. At the time, Apple said: “These apps are distributed by developers who are largely or wholly owned by one or more sanctioned parties. To comply with legal requirements, Apple has banned the developer accounts of the affected apps and the applications are no longer available for download. .” The apps continued to function on devices they were already installed on.

Image via UK