Apple is the latest firm to have halted all product sales in Russia, in a widening corporate backlash to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The iPhone giant said it was “deeply concerned” about the Russian invasion and stands with those “suffering as a result of the violence”.
Apple Pay and other services such as Apple Maps have also been limited.
Google has also removed Russian state-funded publishers such as RT from its features.
Mobile banking apps in Russian, such as Russia’s VTB Bank’s app, also may soon not function fully on devices using Apple’s iOS operating system according to news agency RIA agency.
Apple said in a statement that the firm had disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a “safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens”.
Last week Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov published an open letter to Apple on Twitter, in which he asked Apple to cut Russia off from its products, services, and App Store.
I’ve contacted @tim_cook, Apple’s CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vS
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 25, 2022
Earlier, Google had restricted news firms funded by the Russian government from advertising tools and some features on Youtube.
“We are committed to complying with all sanctions requirements and we continue to monitor the latest guidance,” the company wrote in a blog post.
The company also told the BBC that Google Pay had been limited in the country – for those using sanctioned banks. Google has not, however, blocked Google Pay in Russia.
The company also said “most of our services (like Search, Maps and YouTube) currently remain available in Russia, continuing to provide access to global information and perspectives.”
Firms cutting Russia off
American sportswear giant Nike has also paused sales in Russia. An update to the company’s website showed that purchases on its website and app were unavailable in Russia because the firm said it could not guarantee delivery of goods to the country.
The biggest shipping firms in the world, Danish Maersk and Geneva-based MSC, also suspended container shipping to and from the country on Tuesday. The UK has also banned ships from Russia in its updated sanctions.
Russia supplies a sixth of the world’s commodities so will now be cut off from a significant part of shipping trade.
Motorbike firm Harley-Davidson also suspended business and shipments of its bikes to Russia.
