Apple’s situation with Russia may be more complicated than previously thought, as it opened a corporate office in Moscow in early February.
Following Russia’s 2021 request for Big Tech companies to have a physical presence beyond classic retail stores and support in the region, Apple was the first to comply.
Will Apple close the office it has just opened in Moscow?
According to the Russian news agency Tax, as of February 2022, Apple is the only company to make such a move. Separately, Spotify is completing the paperwork regarding the opening of its own office… but that could change now.
The Russian state regulator of communications Roskomnadzor originally mandated that a number of specific companies would have to comply with this decision by the end of last year. Companies were told they would face restrictions or an outright ban.
The companies mentioned were mainly American tech companies. Among these we find Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet. Other non-US companies named included TikTok And Telegram.
The regulator’s request followed the passage of a law in July 2021 that required social media companies with over 500,000 daily users to open offices in Russia. Previous OEM offices in Cupertino were limited to developer relations, support and retail.
The fragile situation that exists now with Russia, which has practically burned the earth with members of NATO, the EU and the US, could make it more complicated. We do not know if the apple will dismantle its office and its stores in Putin’s territory, even if, precisely by virtue of the new sanctions that Joe Biden has issued against Vlad, it would not be excluded.
At the moment it is impossible to predict how it will all end; we only hope for the best.
