Apple removed 1,213 apps from App Store at Russia's Roskomnadzor request in 2025

Apple's annual transparency report reveals the company removed 2,045 apps from the App Store in 2025 at government requests worldwide. More than half of those removals — 1,213 apps — were carried out at the direction of Russia's internet regulator Roskomnadzor. The data was first highlighted by Russian investigative outlet iStories.

Apple removed 1,213 applications from its App Store in 2025 following demands from Russia's federal internet regulator Roskomnadzor, according to figures published in the company's annual transparency report. The Russian removals accounted for more than half of all government-requested app takedowns worldwide.

In total, Apple pulled 2,045 apps globally in 2025 at the direction of various government authorities. The scale of Russia's share underscores the growing pressure that Roskomnadzor has placed on international technology platforms operating within or accessible from Russian territory.

The data was among the first to be flagged by iStories, an independent Russian investigative journalism outlet. Apple's transparency reports are published periodically and document the volume of government requests the company receives for content removal, account data, and other actions across different jurisdictions.

Roskomnadzor has significantly expanded its enforcement activity against digital platforms in recent years, having previously threatened or imposed restrictions on major services including Twitter, Facebook, and Google. The regulator's ability to compel Apple to remove large numbers of applications reflects the increasing reach of Russian digital censorship infrastructure.