Apple returns anti-Putin voting app to the Russian App Store

midian182

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What just happened? Rather than pulling another product out of Russia, Apple is bringing one back to the country, though Vladimir Putin isn't going to be thanking Tim Cook. Cupertino has reinstated a voting app run by supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to the Russian App Store after it was removed last year.

The Washington Post reports that Apple and Google officials in Russia had been threatened with arrest in September 2021 unless they removed Navalny's "Smart Voting" app from their respective stores ahead of Russia's legislative election.

The app contains over a thousand endorsements of political candidates and is designed to help citizens register votes against Putin and his ruling United Russia party. A spokesperson for the Russian President previously called the app "illegal."

Both tech giants complied with the demands, but while Google returned the app to the Play Store soon after the election, it never reappeared on the Apple App Store. But this week saw its return, according to independent researchers and Navalny's chief of staff, Leonid Volkov.

Ukraine urged Tim Cook to block the App Store in Russia soon after the war began, and while Apple did pause all its product sales and limited services such as Apple Pay in the country around one week later, it never blocked access to the App Store.

The list of tech giants that have taken action against Russia and ally Belarus in response to the Ukraine invasion keeps growing. Intel suspended its business in Russia yesterday having already stopped shipments of industrial processors to the country. We've also seen World of Tanks developer Wargaming, whose Russian CEO founded the company in Belarus, leave both countries last week.

Navalny Image credit: Michał Siergiejevicz

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I love that some people think that elections actually matter in Russia... newsflash: it's NOT a democracy... Putin is going to "win" every election until he is either deposed or killed...

and the cheek of many pro Russian posters all over the web when they ***** about how bad West is. Sure it isn't perfect but damn at least we still have some shred of freedoms. That said, Electoral College is a joke. At least we aren't being silenced for speaking out.
 
What they won't return is any real truth.

The reality is, Putin has political capital that isn't wearing.

His approval rating among Russians is higher than Biden's right now - and that is a fact.

So what the internet and western media is against you?

They can label you whatever they want.

They can do nothing about Putin and they know it. Their virtue signaling has led to exploding inflation in Europe - mostly over energy - and the Russian economy - which was self-sufficient mostly - is churning along with the help of China.

I'm sick and tired of the western media rumor, conjecture and lies.

To have them tell the story: they'd literally have you believing Russia lost.

Reality: Ukraine is going to be permanently scarred and Russia will just continue being Russia.
 
The reality is, Putin has political capital that isn't wearing.

His approval rating among Russians is higher than Biden's right now - and that is a fact.
Really? You realize Russia isn't a democracy, but a dictatorship... Putin will "win" every election with over 95% of the vote... because anyone who doesn't vote for him risks a "Siberian vacation"...

You are correct in one thing: Russia will continue being Russia... a backwards, repressive godawful place that, unless you are super rich, you are treated like scum...
 
Really? You realize Russia isn't a democracy, but a dictatorship... Putin will "win" every election with over 95% of the vote... because anyone who doesn't vote for him risks a "Siberian vacation"...

You are correct in one thing: Russia will continue being Russia... a backwards, repressive godawful place that, unless you are super rich, you are treated like scum...


Have you ever lived in Russia?

If the answer is no: then what do you base your comments on?

What you've been told?
 
Putin is popular because he's straight up with the population, before the invasion he explained everything.
 
Have you ever lived in Russia?

If the answer is no: then what do you base your comments on?
I have. A little over 5 months in Rostov-on-Don for business, and he is right.
And it actually sounds like you have never been there, despite your claims.

You should know that Russian "opinion polls" are voiced out of fear and not hearts and minds. It is rare to see an unhappy Russian actually speak their true thoughts if they are anti Putin (GFY).

You think so little, yet say so much.
 
Vladimir Putin will continue the fight till the fight is finished.

ac64ac59-159f-446e-bfb6-4deb7fcb05b1_text.gif


And that's the problem. Do you realize his country is already damn near in ruins financially? And there is no bright light on his horizon. Europe already has a plan I have posted for you before. Complete independence from Russian fossil fuels in 5 years. AND a 2\3 reduction just by the end of this year.


Then what? When was the last time you heard anybody in any free nation say how badly they want a Russian car? Electronics?

They will be back to Tetris and mail order wives.
 
This is the most pathetic thing published here. A billion votes will change precisely zilch.
 
A little more virtue signalling like this and certainly Putin will be done for.
 
I am microwaving popcorn for the comment section.
I'm actually eating popcorn at work right now. This is the best stuff you can get outside of an actual theatre:
6000203925945.jpg

The stuff tastes like REAL buttered movie popcorn, if it was still warm, it would be EXACTLY the same. Whenever I open a bag of this up, my desk suddenly gets a helluva lot more foot traffic! :laughing:
I love that some people think that elections actually matter in Russia... newsflash: it's NOT a democracy... Putin is going to "win" every election until he is either deposed or killed...
I believe that if he tries to carry out his nuclear threat, one of his own men WILL kill him before he does.
and the cheek of many pro Russian posters all over the web when they ***** about how bad West is. Sure it isn't perfect but damn at least we still have some shred of freedoms. That said, Electoral College is a joke. At least we aren't being silenced for speaking out.
Well, to be fair to the West, the electoral college only exists in the USA. Nobody else in NATO has such a convoluted way of electing leaders.
Really? You realize Russia isn't a democracy, but a dictatorship... Putin will "win" every election with over 95% of the vote... because anyone who doesn't vote for him risks a "Siberian vacation"...

You are correct in one thing: Russia will continue being Russia... a backwards, repressive godawful place that, unless you are super rich, you are treated like scum...
Take a moment and remember who you're replying to. There's always at least one bad apple...
Actually, I've spent some time in Russia... and I also majored in History and have researched a fair amount...

You have any evidence to back up your garbage?
Of course they have no evidence! That's why it's garbage! :laughing:
Apple should also bring an anti-Biden voting app to the Russian App Store...!
They should have had an anti-Trump app. That would have REALLY gone viral! Biden's too boring so nobody cares. He's also not evil enough. :laughing:
I have. A little over 5 months in Rostov-on-Don for business, and he is right.
And it actually sounds like you have never been there, despite your claims.

You should know that Russian "opinion polls" are voiced out of fear and not hearts and minds. It is rare to see an unhappy Russian actually speak their true thoughts if they are anti Putin (GFY).

You think so little, yet say so much.
He doesn't have to think, he has his two RTX 3090s to think for him, remember? :laughing:
Well, spending time in Russia necessitates LIVING... unless you are claiming I'm some sort of undead creature....
The most important thing to remember if you're ever in Russia:
6bsm2u.jpg
 
Actually, I've spent some time in Russia... and I also majored in History and have researched a fair amount...

You have any evidence to back up your garbage?
No, he doesn't. That guy always thinks it's best to go against the grain. If too many people agree on one thing then the opposite must be true. Everyone is wailing on poor Russia, therefore it must be a wonderful place with wonderful people. Best to just ignore what that goof posts.

Anyway, look at all the reports where Ukranians who have relatives in Russia are basically told that it's their own fault their country was attacked. Russians have been brainwashed by the state run propaganda machine so badly it's scary. They literally believe the propaganda instead of their own family members who are telling them they're being bombed right this second.

Think about how much damage Trump did to American democracy, nearly bringing it down near the end, and that was after only 4 years in office and without a state run propaganda machine (unless you count Fox News). The Russian people have been facing the same thing, except much much more aggressively and Putin's been brainwashing them with propaganda for 22 years now!
 
The thing that pisses me off the most about politicians and these greedy corporate fat cats is the fact that they're already talking about easing sanctions on Russia if only they would end this war. There's absolutely no end in sight for this war, but *if* there was some way to sway Putin to end it, they would be willing to remove the sanctions pretty much right away.

Remember how outraged everyone was when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014? It didn't take long to remove whatever useless sanctions were applied. Not only that, they built a 20 billion dollar pipeline directly to Germany. All this talk about weening Europe off Russian energy is a bunch of BS. Just watch, within 6 months after this war ends the Germans will be buying gas and oil from Russia. Even if Russia slaughters half of Ukraine's population these people only care about profits.
 
Guys, guys, you keep forgetting one thing - Putin DOES care for Russia's public opinion. He just MODIFIES public opinion in his favor efficiently. Most people in Russia don't even go the long way to getting an alternative opinion. They watch propaganda 24/7 from the TV, the internet is fully controlled - nearly all alternative sources can't be accessed without a VPN. Most of people aged 40 and above don't even know how to use VPN, and already wouldn't do it. The only way to defeat Putin - is defeat his propaganda in Russia and neighboring countries (Ukraine, Belarus, etc).

80% of people in Russia:

1) Think that their way of living is the only correct way of living. They think Putin is PROTECTING their way of living (which in fact isn't theirs - just suitable for Putin).
2) They are being sanctioned because Western countries are evil (not because Putin is evil).
3) Had been grown in the atmosphere of Great Winner of WWII. Basically, Putin's propaganda is militaristic feeding of people with military achievements. Every time Putin attacks a country, his popularity raises up.

Putin's propaganda machine - is among the most sophisticated and violent in the world. His own Goebbels - Vladimir Solovyov - is a dangerous machine of mass destruction. Very few people in the West understand that.

And Putin is not silly or mad - in fact he is clever. That makes him more dangerous.
 
If the answer is no: then what do you base your comments on?
I'm curious what you base YOUR comments on ꓘOMЯADЗ.

So I'm wondering what you think of that civilian targeted train station that left behind many dead and hundreds hurt, and the missile fragment that had "for children" spray painted on the side in Russian?

 
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