Apple removes US state media from Russian App Store

The tech giant reportedly said that Current Time TV had published content that violated Russian laws

Apple has informed the US state-run Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that it will remove the app of its media project, Current Time TV, from its Russian online store, the network announced on Saturday. 

The app was removed because it included “content that is illegal in Russia” and did not comply with verification rules, Current Time said on its website, citing a letter from Apple. According to the network, Apple also warned that the app had content produced by an organization that was blacklisted in Russia.

The network added that the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor (RKN) had requested the removal of its products. The regulator itself has not commented on the matter.

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US sanctions RT

RFE/RL, whose headquarters is based in Prague, was created by the US government to spread anti-Soviet and pro-American propaganda during the Cold War and was initially funded by the CIA. It continues to be state-funded and is primarily focused on messages that are critical to the Russian government. RFE/RL and another US state-run new organization, the Voice of America, jointly launched Current Time in 2017 as a separate Russian-language outlet. 

In March 2022, Russia blocked access to RFE/RL, citing “the publication of materials that contain false information” about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Moscow further blacklisted the network and all of its subsidiaries, including Current Time, in February 2024. 

The EU has similarly banned multiple Russian media organizations since 2022, including RT and Sputnik, accusing the outlets of spreading “disinformation.” In September 2024, the US imposed sanctions on RT’s parent company, Rossiya Segodnya, and five of its subsidiaries.