Russia’s antitrust agency has turned its attention to Apple, claiming that the US company has removed banking and payment apps from its App Store, as reported by Reuters.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service has communicated with Apple regarding its concerns about these restrictions, which hinder Russian banks from providing their services. Most Russian banks have been excluded from the App Store, and users are also unable to install apps from sources outside the store.
The agency stated that Apple appears to be violating antitrust laws and is requesting a “detailed, motivated position on this issue.”
In a related development, the US government filed a lawsuit against Apple last month, accusing the company of monopolizing the smartphone market through various practices, including blocking third-party apps from providing contactless payment options.
Earlier this year, Apple attempted to mitigate antitrust charges from the European Commission by offering third-party providers access to the NFC chip technology in its iOS devices.