Apple’s harsh stance towards Russia after the invasion of Ukraine began to affect its policy in Crimea. On Apple Maps, Crimea appears to belong to Ukraine, at least to people outside of Russia. The company had tried to find a middle ground before. First, it showed the region as if it does not belong to anyone, and in 2019 it started to show Crimea as Russian territory to Russian users.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, resulting in widespread international condemnation and punishment. Many countries still refuse to recognize Russia’s control over the region, and other tech firms have tried to negotiate the issue in different ways. For example, Google Maps continues to display Crimea as if it does not belong to any nationality.
Apple’s decision comes days after Apple halted sales in Russia and restricted content in the country by limiting Apple Pay and removing apps from state-sponsored Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik from the App Store. The company seems no longer willing to be as accommodating as it used to be when it comes to Russia.
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