The company said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” about the Russian invasion and that in response it had “paused all product sales” in the country. Apple also said it has restricted access to digital services, such as Apple Pay, in Russia and has restricted access to Russian state-owned media applications outside the country.
“Last week we stopped all exports to our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services were limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside of Russia,” Apple said. “And we have deactivated both traffic and live incidents on Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety measure and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.”
Apple’s decision comes as technology companies face growing public pressure to act against Russia. The Ukrainian government last week asked Apple to stop offering its app store in Russia, but some security and democracy experts said it could hurt Russian consumers protesting the Kremlin and relying on Western organizing tools.