MOSCOW — Apple and Google removed an app meant to coordinate protest voting in this weekend’s Russian elections from the country on Friday, a blow to the opponents of President Vladimir V. Putin and a display of Silicon Valley’s limits when it comes to resisting crackdowns on dissent around the world.
The decisions came after Russian authorities, which claim the app is illegal, threatened to prosecute local employees of Apple and Google — a sharp escalation in the Kremlin’s campaign to rein in the country’s largely uncensored internet. A person familiar with Google’s decision said the authorities had named specific individuals who would face prosecution, prompting it to remove the app.
The person declined to be identified for fear of angering the Russian government. Google has more than 100 employees in the country.
Apple did not respond to phone calls, emails or text messages seeking comment.
The app was created and promoted by allies of the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, who were hoping to use it to consolidate the opposition vote in each of Russia’s 225 electoral districts. It disappeared from the two technology platforms just as voting got underway in the three-day parliamentary election, in which Mr. Putin’s United Russia party — in a carefully stage-managed system — holds a commanding advantage.
Mr. Navalny’s team reacted with outrage to the decision, suggesting the companies had made a major concession to the Russian government. “Removing the Navalny app from...
Read Full Story: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/17/world/europe/russia-navalny-app-election.html
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