On July 2, 2026, Beijing time, Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) formally warned Apple, accusing the company of discriminating against Russian local products regarding the pre-installation of search engines and software on iOS devices. The agency alleged that Apple had violated relevant legal requirements by not pre-installing Russia's national instant messaging software, Max, and local app stores on devices such as iPhones and iPads. Moreover, it was discovered that these devices were pre-configured with foreign search engines by default, necessitating users to manually switch to local search engines. The FAS demanded that Apple make the necessary rectifications by July 15; otherwise, it would face a fine of up to 4 billion rubles (approximately $51.6 million). Previously, Apple had removed several apps owned by VK, a Russian state-controlled tech company, including Max, from the App Store. A Kremlin spokesperson remarked that Apple's actions were unreasonable and unacceptable, and that Russia would seek an explanation and determine whether to continue cooperation.