Apple has become the latest major firm to halt all product sales in Russia, in a widening corporate backlash to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The iPhone giant said it was “deeply concerned” about the Russian invasion and stands with those “suffering as a result of the violence”.
Apple Pay and other services such as Apple Maps have also been limited.
Google has also removed Russian state-funded publishers such as RT from its features.
Mobile banking apps in Russian, such as Russia’s VTB Bank’s app, may soon not function fully on devices using Apple’s iOS operating system, according to news agency RIA.
Apple said in a statement that the firm had disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a “safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens”.
Last week, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov published an open letter to Apple on Twitter, in which he asked Apple to cut Russia off from its products, services, and App Store.
Earlier, Google restricted news firms funded by the Russian government from advertising tools and some features on YouTube.
“We are committed to complying with all sanctions requirements and we continue to monitor the latest guidance,” the company wrote in a blog post.
I’ve contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vS
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 25, 2022
The company also told the BBC that Google Pay had been limited in the country – for those using sanctioned banks. Google has not, however, blocked Google Pay in Russia.
Google also said “most of our services (like Search, Maps and YouTube) currently remain available in Russia, continuing to provide access to global information and perspectives.”
Firms cutting off Russia
Meanwhile, the Finnish network equipment maker Nokia said it would stop deliveries to Russia to comply with sanctions imposed on the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
On Monday, Netflix also said it had “no plans” to add state-run channels to its Russian service. Russian regulations had required it to carry 20 free-to-air news, sports and entertainment channels in the country.
US sportswear giant Nike has also paused sales in Russia. An update to the company’s website showed that purchases online and on the app were unavailable in Russia because the firm said it could not guarantee delivery of goods to the country.
However, the website update directed customers to their nearest Nike stores.
The biggest shipping firms in the world, Danish Maersk and Geneva-based MSC, also suspended container shipping to and from the country on Tuesday. The UK has also banned ships from Russia in its updated sanctions.
Russia supplies a sixth of the world’s commodities so will now be cut off from a significant part of shipping trade.
Motorbike firm Harley-Davidson also suspended business and shipments of its bikes to Russia.
And US plane manufacturer Boeing Co said on Tuesday it was suspending parts, maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines – as well as major operations in Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.