--- title: "Apple and Microsoft Added to Roskomnadzor's ARI Registry: What This Means for Users and Services" description: "On October 2, 2026, Roskomnadzor added Apple and Microsoft to the information dissemination organizers registry. The companies must store user correspondence and hand it over to security agencies or face service blocks." date: 2026-10-28T16:10:21.772Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/apple-and-microsoft-added-to-roskomnadzors-ari-registry tags: [apple, microsoft, roscomnadzor, ori, data-storage, russia] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Apple and Microsoft Added to Roskomnadzor's ARI Registry: What This Means for Users and Services ![A person holds a modern smartphone in their hands in front of a monitor in an office](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/apple-microsoft-v-reestre-ori-roskomnadzora/apple-microsoft-v-reestre-ori-roskomnadzora-1.webp) ## Key Points - Roskomnadzor added Apple and Microsoft to the ARI registry on October 2, 2026; it remains unknown if it was voluntary or forced. - Apple was fined 500,000 rubles in June 2026 for repeatedly failing to fulfill ARI duties. - ARIs are required to store user messages for up to six months and metadata for up to a year, handing data over to law enforcement. - Non-compliance risks fines and service bans; Google (Google Meet) and Cloudflare were previously added. On October 2, 2026, Roskomnadzor added American corporations Apple and Microsoft to the registry of information dissemination organizers (ARI). According to the Tech Talk Telegram channel, this is evident from the agency's database. Apple's registry profile lists software development and provision as its line of business, while Microsoft is described as an ecosystem of software products, hardware, and cloud services for private and corporate users. As of the time of publication, it remains unclear whether the inclusion was voluntary or mandatory: the regulator has the authority to independently add services to the registry if a company repeatedly refuses to do so on its own initiative. ### Chronology: From Demand to Fine For Apple, the procedure dragged on for over a year. In July 2025, Roskomnadzor sent the company a demand to register as an ARI, but Apple failed to comply, arguing that the apple.com website could not be considered an internet communication service. In June 2026, the company was held administratively liable under Part 1.1 of Article 13.31 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation — for repeatedly failing to fulfill the duties of an information dissemination organizer — and was fined 500,000 rubles. Following this, the corresponding record appeared in the registry. A similar practice was applied earlier: in 2025, the regulator forcibly added the American company Cloudflare to the registry. ### What Companies Are Now Obligated to Do Inclusion in the ARI registry imposes a number of obligations established by the federal law "On Information, Information Technologies, and Information Protection." Organizers of information dissemination are required to store information on the territory of Russia for up to a year regarding the facts of reception, transmission, delivery, and processing of voice information, text data, images, and other electronic messages of users, and to provide this data to authorized state bodies carrying out operational-search activities or ensuring the security of the Russian Federation. In addition, under the so-called "Yarovaya package," in effect since 2018, companies must store the content of all messages, including audio and video calls, for six months. ### Which Services Fall Under the Requirements and Penalties for Non-Compliance Among Apple's products, iMessage and FaceTime fall under the definition of electronic messaging tools, along with iCloud Mail and AirDrop, according to several publications. Notably, FaceTime was previously blocked by Roskomnadzor in late 2025 as a countermeasure against terrorist threats and fraudsters. Failure to fulfill ARI duties entails an administrative administrative fine, and further refusal to comply may result in the restriction or complete blocking of the services within Russia. ### Context: Not Just Apple and Microsoft The inclusion of the two corporations continues a series of similar decisions by the regulator. According to information on the agency's website, the American company Google was added to the ARI registry back on January 26, 2026 — specifically its Google Meet audio and video calling service. Thus, both major technological ecosystems and individual communication services are falling into the list of information dissemination organizers, expanding the circle of companies required to store user data on the territory of the Russian Federation and transfer it to law enforcement agencies upon request. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Apple и Microsoft попали в реестр ОРИ Роскомнадзора — это означает новые требования и угрозу блокировки window-new](https://3dnews.ru/1150542/apple-i-microsoft-popali-v-reestr-ori-roskomnadzora-eto-oznachaet-novie-trebovaniya-i-ugrozu-blokirovki) - Primary source: inclusion date Oct 2, timeline of RKN demand (July 2025), fine of 500,000 RUB (June 2026), ARI requirements, FaceTime blocking. - [Google Meet, Apple и Microsoft попали в реестр Роскомнадзора](https://kubnews.ru/obshchestvo/2026/10/28/google-meet-apple-i-microsoft-popali-v-reestr-roskomnadzora/) - Confirms the inclusion of Apple and Microsoft on Oct 2, as well as Google (Google Meet) on Jan 26, 2026; describes company profiles and Yarovaya package requirements. - [Роскомнадзор внес Apple и Microsoft в реестр организаторов распространения информации](https://bg.ru/bg/city/city-news/34132-apple-microsoft) - Confirms the Oct 2 date, the obligation to store messages for up to six months and data for up to three years, the list of Apple services, and the threat of fines and blocking. - [Apple и Microsoft попали в реестр Роскомнадзора](https://news.ru/vlast/apple-i-microsoft-popali-v-reestr-roskomnadzora) - Confirms the inclusion of Apple and Microsoft in the ARI registry on Oct 2 according to the agency's database. ## FAQ ### When were Apple and Microsoft added to the ARI registry? The entry in the Roskomnadzor registry is dated October 2, 2026. ### Did the companies agree to the inclusion voluntarily? It is currently unknown. Roskomnadzor has the authority to forcibly add services to the registry upon repeated refusal, as was the case with Cloudflare in 2025. ### What obligations do Apple and Microsoft acquire as ARIs? Companies are required to store user message processing data in Russia for up to a year and the messages themselves (including audio and video calls) for six months, providing this data to authorized state bodies upon request. ### Which Apple services fall under these requirements? iMessage and FaceTime fall under electronic messaging definitions, with iCloud Mail and AirDrop also mentioned. FaceTime was blocked by Roskomnadzor in late 2025. ### What threatens companies for non-compliance? Failure to fulfill ARI duties entails an administrative fine, and further refusal leads to service restriction or blocking. Apple was already fined 500,000 rubles in June 2026.