Opposition app removed as polls open in election
MOSCOW — Apple and Google removed an app meant to coordinate protest voting in this weekend’s Russian elections from the country Friday, a blow to the opponents of President Vladimir Putin and a display of Silicon Valley’s limits when it comes to resisting crackdowns on dissent around the world.
The decisions came after Russian authorities, who claim the app is illegal, threatened to prosecute local employees of Apple and Google — a sharp escalation in the Kremlin’s campaign to rein in the country’s largely uncensored internet. A person familiar with Google’s decision said authorities had named specific individuals who would face prosecution, prompting it to remove the app.
The person declined to be identified for fear of angering the Russian government. Google has more than 100 employees in the country.
Apple did not respond to messages seeking comment.
The app was created and promoted by allies of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who were hoping to use it to consolidate the protest vote in each of Russia’s 225 electoral districts. It disappeared from the two technology platforms just as voting got under way in the three-day parliamentary election in which Putin’s United Russia party — in a carefully stage-managed system — holds a commanding advantage.
Navalny’s team reacted with outrage to the decision, suggesting the companies had made a damaging concession to the Russians.
“Removing the Navalny app from stores is a shameful act of political censorship,” an aide to Navalny, Ivan Zhdanov, said on Twitter. “Russia’s authoritarian government and propaganda will be thrilled.”
The decisions also drew criticism from free-speech activists in the West.
“The companies are in a really difficult position, but they have put themselves there,” said David Kaye, a former United Nations official responsible for investigating freedom of expression issues.
The extraordinary pressure on Google and Apple is an indication of the threat the Kremlin sees in Navalny’s “smartvoting” effort and the growing role technology plays as an instrument of political power. United Russia’s approval ratings in state-run polls have slumped to around 30%, compared with 40% before the past parliamentary election, in 2016. A consolidation of the opposition vote could defeat United Russia candidates in competitive districts, since only a simple majority is required to win.
Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the app was illegal in Russia when asked about it Friday; Navalny’s movement was outlawed as extremist this summer. “Both platforms have been notified, and in accordance with the law, they made these decisions,” he said.