On November 5, Russia’s State Duma approved the first reading of a new bill that would obligate non-Russian producers of smartphones, computers, and smart TVs to pre-install Russian-made apps on their devices. If it ultimately becomes law, the bill will likely take effect on July 1, 2020.
Under such legislation, the executive branch of the Russian government would determine which applications electronics companies would have to pre-install. However, companies that do not comply with those recommendations would only face a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($3,130), a pittance for an international giant like Apple or Google.
Sources in the Russian parliament told Meduza that the bill was actually a Kremlin initiative tied to Russia’s efforts to make its Internet traffic less dependent on the World Wide Web.
“Anti-Apple” draft bill: Russia could mandate pre-installed Russian-made apps on all devicesRead More
