Russia adds Apple and Microsoft to state surveillance registry
Listed firms must store user identity data and communication records inside Russia for three years, or face fines and possible service restrictions.
Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has added Apple and Microsoft to its state registry of "organizers of information dissemination" as of October 2, which obliges them to keep certain communications and hand data to Russian security services. Covered material includes messages containing audio or video, and firms must store user identification details and records of transmissions within Russia for three years. Non-compliant companies face fines and could eventually have their services restricted. The listing comes after Google's Meet was added in January and FaceTime was blocked in December 2025, and it places Apple alongside WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat on the same list.
Why it matters
The registry extends obligations already placed on Google Meet and joins Apple to WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat on the same list. For users of these services in Russia, it means their identifying details and records of transmissions are kept within the country for three years and can be handed to security services. The step follows the December 2025 blocking of FaceTime, which Russia said was used for terrorism, recruitment and fraud, and shows a pattern of tightening control over foreign messaging and calling platforms.
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