MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has addressed Apple with a demand to set a domestic search engine as the default for Apple device users in Russia, the agency’s head Maxim Shaskolsky stated in a letter to Apple, obtained by TASS.

According to the letter, Apple is violating consumer protection rules, which require that complex electronic devices, such as smartphones, have a search engine from Russia or the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) preinstalled. It must be enabled by default and operate without additional configuration.

"At present, on devices sold in the territory of Russia, this capability without additional setup is provided to a search engine whose country of origin is not Russia or another EAEU member state. Under these circumstances, due to Apple Inc.’s actions, a search engine originating in Russia or other EAEU countries may face unequal competitive conditions compared to another engine enabled by default, which may subsequently infringe on the rights of an undefined group of consumers, depriving them of the ability to exercise their rights," the letter said.

FAS is demanding that Apple set a Russian or other EAEU search engine as the default, with a response required by October 31, 2025.