Russia banned groups it labeled “extremist”
Apple’s message to the app developers included the request Apple received from the Russian government agency Roskomnadzor, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media. Roskomnadzor told Apple that the Anti-Corruption Fund and Navalny’s “public movement” are “recognized as extremist within the country.”
“In accordance with Article 9 of the Federal Law of 25.07.2002 No. 114-FZ, ‘On Countering Extremist Activity,’ by the decision of the Moscow City Court dated 09.06.2021, these non-profit organizations were liquidated, and the activities of the public movement were prohibited,” Roskomnadzor told Apple. “At the moment, the Navalny application is being distributed through the App Store service, which is used to promote the activities and implement the activities of the aforementioned extremist organizations.”
With Navalny in prison and Russian authorities having prevented his backers and other opposition figures from getting on the ballot, the app was designed to help voters identify non-ruling party candidates.
“The idea, which Mr. Navalny calls smart voting, is to coalesce opposition-minded voters around one particular candidate running against United Russia in each of the country’s 225 electoral districts,” The New York Times wrote earlier this week. “That candidate could be a liberal, a nationalist or a Stalinist. Before Russians go to the polls, they can punch their address into the ‘Navalny’ smartphone app, which then responds with the names of the candidates they should vote for—whether or not voters agree with those persons’ views.”
As the BBC noted today, Putin’s United Russia Party is expected to win the election. “Although a total of 14 parties are taking part in the vote, many candidates seen as anti-Putin are barred from running, including anyone associated with Navalny’s opposition movement. Some prominent Kremlin opponents have been forced to leave Russia,” the BBC wrote.
“Even in Russia, voting is not criminal behavior”
Tech Legal Counsel Natalia Krapiva of digital-rights advocacy group Access Now wrote on Twitter that the app “helped Russians that disagree with Putin find candidates to vote for” and is the “very definition of democratic process.”
“For once, Putin was afraid too… Russia has tried everything to get the app pulled. A spurious trademark lawsuit, legal threats. @Google and @Apple knew exactly what was going on. And, until this morning, they resisted,” Krapiva wrote.
“Worse: after pulling the real voting guide app, @Apple is keeping impostor apps,” she added. “Russians headed to the polls are now unwittingly installing apps that may put them in immediate danger.”
Krapiva pointed out that Apple’s correspondence to the app developers warned them that apps must not promote “criminal” behavior. “@Apple, I can’t believe I need to say this but even in Russia, voting is not criminal behavior,” Krapiva wrote. Apple and Google “owe the Russian people an explanation,” she wrote.