Russia demands that Apple display annexed Crimea as Russian territory on its maps
The Russian State Duma instructed the National Security and Corruption committee and Information Policy, IT and Communications Committee to find out why annexed Sevastopol is shown on Apple’s maps as Ukrainian territory.
State Duma committees have been requested to send a request to the State Prosecutor General’s Office to “prevent Apple’s violation of the Russian Constitution.” The request stated that "the Maps application on Apple’s smartphones display Sevastopol as Ukrainian territory," and noted that "Simferopol is similarly displayed on some Apple gadgets."
Last week, State Duma deputies demanded that Google display the annexed Crimea as Russian territory for Russian users.
“The first time, Google Corporation didn’t agree with our statement but a few days later it confirmed in a comment that there was a technical error,” said Russian Deputy Alexander Starovoytov. The politician suggested that in the coming days, the National Security and Corruption Commitee "will have a meeting with a representative of Google Corporation and put an end to this issue."
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of the Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize the Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.