VK Files Lawsuit Against Apple: 58 Million Rubles in Penalties for Each Day Its Apps Are Missing from the App Store

Russian technology holding VK (OOO "VK", part of MKPAO "VK") filed a lawsuit against the American corporation Apple Inc. with the Arbitration Court of Moscow on August 19, 2026. The subject of the dispute is the unilateral removal of VK's apps from the App Store without prior notice. This was reported by VK's press office, citing data from the arbitration case registry, which was also noted by Interfax and RIA Novosti.

Structure of the Lawsuit and the Defendants

The defendants in the case, registered with the Arbitration Court of Moscow, are three legal entities: the American Apple Inc., the Irish Apple Distribution International Ltd., and the Russian OOO "Apple Rus" — the local structure of the iPhone manufacturer. In its claim, VK demands that Apple restore three apps to the App Store: the social network "VKontakte", the social network "Odnoklassniki", and the streaming music platform VK Music. In addition, the plaintiff insists on restoring the ability of users to receive push notifications from the aforementioned apps. In the event of non-compliance with the court's decision, VK has demanded the imposition of a penalty of 58 million rubles per day.

Amount of the Penalty and the Mechanism for Its Accrual

According to RIA Novosti, based on the text of the lawsuit, the penalty of 58 million rubles per day is distributed as follows: 50 million rubles for each day the social network "VKontakte" is absent, 3 million rubles for "Odnoklassniki", and 5 million rubles for VK Music. Starting from the sixth day after the date the court's decision is issued in full, these amounts must be paid jointly and severally by all three defendants. Thus, in the event of a prolonged review of the case, the potential penalty amount could reach astronomical figures, making the lawsuit not only a legal but also a significant economic instrument of pressure on Apple.

Timeline of the App Removals

According to VK, in early June 2026, Apple removed the app of the national messenger "Max", which at that time was part of the VK structure, from the App Store. In the second half of June, the American company carried out a mass purge of the platform from the remaining apps of the Russian holding. VK emphasizes that all actions were carried out without any prior notice or justification. Later, the "Max" and VK apps also disappeared from Google Play, indicating a possible systemic nature of the restrictions that goes beyond a single ecosystem.

Contradictory Data

The key discrepancy between the parties' accounts concerns the motives for the removal. Apple explained its actions as an effort to comply with sanctions restrictions. However, as directly stated in the case materials and confirmed by journalistic investigations, the relevant sanctions were introduced later than the date of the actual removal of the apps from the App Store. Thus, Apple's argument about "compliance with sanctions" is inconsistent with the timeline: the company removed the apps before the entry into force of the very restrictions it cited. VK, for its part, insists that the removal was carried out "unilaterally without warning", which, in the plaintiff's view, violates the terms of the user agreements and the principles of fair competition. As of now, Apple has not published an official comment on the substance of the filed lawsuit.

Context and Possible Consequences

VK's lawsuit against Apple fits into a broader context of technological confrontation between Russian and Western platforms, which has intensified against the backdrop of sanctions pressure. According to Kommersant's assessment, VK has real chances of winning this case, because the removal of the apps without notice and without reference to specific legal grounds at the time of removal creates a favorable procedural position for the plaintiff. If the court grants VK's claims, the decision could become a precedent for the entire Russian mobile app market and force Apple to reconsider its policy of working with local developers. For users, this means the potential restoration of access to familiar services in the App Store, while for Apple it means the risk of daily financial losses in the event of non-compliance with the decision.