VK Sues Apple: Restore Apps or Pay Millions Daily!

VK, a prominent Russian technology firm, has initiated legal action against Apple in a Moscow arbitration court, demanding the immediate reinstatement of its applications on the App Store. The lawsuit, filed on August 19, 2026, seeks substantial daily penalties from Apple. Specifically, VK is requesting 58 million rubles (approximately $696,000) per day until its apps are restored. This significant sum is broken down across different services, with VKontakte facing a potential 50 million ruble daily fine.

Apple's decision to remove applications like VKontakte, VK Messenger, and Odnoklassniki stemmed from compliance with European Union sanctions. These sanctions reportedly accuse VK and its messaging subsidiary of enabling surveillance and censorship within Russia. Following Apple's removal, these applications also disappeared from Google Play. The Kremlin has publicly criticized Apple's actions, questioning its reliability as a service provider in the Russian market.

This legal battle is part of a broader trend of increasing regulatory pressure on Western technology companies in Russia. Earlier, Apple was fined for violating federal legislation, and Google was ordered to return over $2.1 billion. VK's strategy of leveraging domestic courts to compel foreign firms' compliance is now being tested against Apple's diminishing presence in the Russian market.