Russian anti-corruption critic and activist Alexei Navalny has taken to social media to criticize Google and Apple's move to remove their apps from the Play Store and App Store. Quoted from Reuters ne
"The tech giants Apple and Google have conspired with the Kremlin to fulfill their demands, removing our application from their market. Youtube has also removed my video and Telegram has blocked our bot," said Alexei Navalny in his upload to social media, Thursday, September 23. 2021.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny listens to the announcement of the court's verdict in Moscow, Russia on February 2, 2021. Press Service of Simonovsky District Court/Handout via REUTERS
As previously reported, the Alexei Navalny application, which was intended to support elections, was deemed to contain illegal content by the Russian Government. Because of this, the application includes a recommendation for 'Smart Voting' in dealing with the election later.
The Smart Voting strategy aims to urge Russia to vote tactically to support the candidate most capable of overthrowing the incumbent from the ruling party, United Russia, in Duma elections. Well, for Russia, the strategy is illegal and needs to be censored because Alexei Navalny's political movement is already considered extremist.
Google and Apple have been under immense pressure from the Russian government in recent months. They have been fined several times for not removing content that authorities consider extremist. If they don't delete the "Navalny" application, they will be subject to further fines.
Alexei Navalny insists that he doesn't blame everyone at Google and Apple. He was sure there were still good people there. However, he was disappointed with the attitude of decision makers who simply submitted to the interests of the Russian Government.
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"I want good people to be brave against their cowardly bosses," said Alexei Navalny. As per this news written, neither Google nor Apple has yet provided a response.
When elections took place this week, the United Russia Party managed to win a majority for the lower house of the Duma. Opposition and supporters of Alexei Navalny they cheated even though the EMB ensured all votes were clean.