Apple justified the removal of independent media apps by expressing concern for the well-being of Russian citizens.

"Failure to comply with Russian legislation may result in Apple being unable to distribute content in Russia. The U.S. government encourages actions aimed at ensuring the availability of communication services for the Russian population, believing that these services are essential to supporting democratic principles," representatives from Apple stated.

At the same time, it became known that the company extended its rights to own the trademark and logo in the form of a bitten apple in Russia until 2035. The ownership period under the previous contract was set to expire in the spring of 2025.

• Previously, at the request of Roskomnadzor, applications from Radio Free Europe and its projects - Siberia.Reality, North.Reality, and "Current Time" were removed from the Russian App Store. Roskomnadzor notified Apple that the applications contained informational materials from an organization whose activities are banned within Russian territory. The media corporation Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was included in the list of undesirable organizations in Russia in February. The corporation's president, Stephen Capus, described this decision as "yet another example of how the Russian government perceives truthful journalistic content as an existential threat."
• In September, 28 organizations, including human rights groups, media outlets, and VPN app developers, appealed to Apple urging it to halt censorship in Russia at the request of Russian authorities.