Apple has been fined by a Russian court for allegedly violating the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, according to multiple reports.
The Tagansky Court in Moscow ordered Apple Distribution International Ltd to pay a total of 10.5 million roubles (approximately NZD $200,000) across four administrative cases. Three of the fines — totalling 7.5 million roubles (NZD $160,000) — were issued over breaches of Russia’s laws banning so-called “LGBT propaganda”. The fourth fine, worth 3 million roubles (£28,000), related to the alleged failure to restrict user access to online content deemed illegal under Russian law, Reuters reported.
Russia’s wide-reaching anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law, which took effect in January 2024, bans any public display or distribution of content seen as promoting LGBTQ+ identities or relationships. The legislation has effectively criminalised all forms of LGBTQ+ visibility, activism, and advocacy.
According to the independent outlet Mediazona, Apple’s legal representatives requested that the court proceedings be held behind closed doors. As a result, the specific details of each charge remain undisclosed. Apple has not yet released a public statement on the court’s decision.
Crackdown Intensifies
The ruling comes amid a rapidly intensifying crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in Russia. Since the law was expanded, authorities have taken action against a wide range of individuals and organisations. Examples include:
- Bar staff and venue owners jailed over inclusive events
- Over 50 club-goers detained during raids
- Duolingo, a popular language-learning app, was forced to remove LGBTQ+ content
- The My Little Pony cartoon reclassified as suitable only for adults (18+)
- A university student expelled for posting make-up tutorials online
The environment for LGBTQ+ people in Russia has grown increasingly hostile. In January, a man was fined for joking that he “started” the global LGBTQ+ rights movement. In December, another man accused of operating an LGBTQ+ travel agency was found dead in his prison cell.
In February 2025, reports emerged that the Russian government was developing a national database to register and monitor people identified as part of the so-called “international LGBT movement”. This movement was officially labelled “extremist” by Russian authorities in 2023.
