Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry

Apple faces Russian data retention and disclosure requirements after being added to the country's state surveillance registry, Bloomberg reports.

Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, listed Apple and Microsoft on October 2 as "organizers of information dissemination," a classification that carries obligations to preserve communications and make data available to Russian security agencies.

Those obligations cover correspondence and messages containing audio or video. Companies must also keep information identifying users and recording the transmission of their communications within Russia for three years. Businesses that fail to meet the requirements risk fines and, ultimately, restrictions on their services.

Apple and Microsoft join other services on the registry, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. Google and its Meet video calling service were listed in January.

The designation follows Russia's December 2025 block on FaceTime. Roskomnadzor justified that restriction by alleging the service was being used to facilitate terrorism, recruitment, and fraud. Russia had already restricted calling through WhatsApp and Telegram and blocked Signal and Viber.

Apple suspended sales in Russia in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, in addition to stopping exports into its Russian sales channel and limiting Apple Pay.

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