The Ministry of Digital Development will oblige Apple to allow downloading third-party applications in Russia

The Ministry of Digital Development, following the example of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), plans to oblige Apple to allow downloading third-party applications, Shadayev said. According to Kommersant, all owners of mobile systems will be subject to regulation.

The Ministry of Digital Development plans to submit a bill to the State Duma in the spring that will oblige Apple to open its phones to install applications from third-party stores, the head of the ministry, Maksut Shadayev, told Kommersant. According to him, the document is now being finalized based on proposals from the presidential administration.

As the newspaper notes, we are talking about a bill announced back in December 2022: then Shadayev compared it with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) adopted in the European Union. The initiative was announced against the backdrop of the removal of mobile applications from Russian sanctioned companies, mainly banks, from the Apple and Google stores.

According to Kommersant, all owners of mobile systems, device manufacturers and store operators will be subject to regulation; they will have to ensure the installation of all applications on equal terms.

The DMA came into force in the EU in November 2022, but all its provisions will come into force from 6 March 2024 . The law envisages expanding the powers of the European Commission (EC) as the body for ensuring compliance with antimonopoly legislation in the region. In Apple's case, the company would be prohibited from favoring its own services over those of its competitors. The IT giant will also be required to allow the installation of third-party applications.

The company itself criticized the law , noting that it could threaten privacy. “Apple has to create technology that allows one app to install others, and that comes with risks. This could pose a serious threat to the privacy, security and integrity of your device,” Apple App Store CEO Phil Schiller said in January.

According to Bloomberg , Apple gets about a quarter of its revenue from Europe, and in 2023 this region became the company's second most important (25%), after the United States (42%). The agency notes that the new law will eliminate commissions of up to 30% that Apple has charged developers since the launch of the App Store in 2008. They will now pay the company 17% of in-app sales, with that rate dropping to 10% for most.

After the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine , Apple stopped supplying its products to Russia, and also completely stopped working with Russian cards. The Russian subsidiary of Google initiated its own bankruptcy in May 2022.

Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov in March 2023 announced a ban on the use of smartphones based on the iOS and Android operating systems by officials for official purposes. There is also a ban on iPhones in the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The CEC reported on negotiations with domestic developers of mobile devices on the supply of equipment to members and employees of the commission’s apparatus for use for official purposes.

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