Posted on 09/17/2021 6:48:13 PM PDT by Right Wing Vegan
Facing Kremlin pressure, Apple and Google on Friday removed an opposition-created smartphone app that tells voters which candidates are likely to defeat those backed by Russian authorities, as polls opened for three days of balloting in Russia’s parliamentary election.
Unexpectedly long lines formed at some polling places, and independent media suggested this could show that state institutions and companies were forcing employees to vote. The election is widely seen as an important part of President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cement his grip on power ahead of the 2024 presidential polls, in which control of the State Duma, or parliament, will be key.
Russian authorities have sought to suppress the use of Smart Voting, a strategy designed by imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to curb the dominance of the Kremlin-backed United Russia party.
Apple and Google have come under pressure in recent weeks, with Russian officials telling them to remove the Smart Voting app from their online stores. Failure to do so will be interpreted as interference in the election and make them subject to fines, the officials said.
Last week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan over the issue.
On Thursday, representatives of Apple and Google were invited to a meeting in the upper house of Russia’s parliament, the Federation Council. The Council’s commission on protecting state sovereignty said in a statement afterward that Apple agreed to cooperate with Russian authorities.
Apple and Google did not respond Friday to a request from The Associated Press for comment.
Google was forced to remove the app because it faced legal demands by regulators and threats of criminal prosecution in Russia, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter who also said Russian police visited Google’s Moscow offices Monday to enforce a court order to block the app.
(Excerpt) Read more at kdvr.com ...
Russia using the Chinese tactics on social media companies and its working. The Democrats borrowed Russian voter fraud techniques that have kept Putin, his party, and the fake opposition Communists in power.
Collusion!!!
Russians for the most part like Putin so I don’t know what the big deal is. Likely Putin trying to make certain what happened here doesn’t happen in his election.
“Russians for the most part like Putin so I don’t know what the big deal is. Likely Putin trying to make certain what happened here doesn’t happen in his election.”
I think Putin doesn’t see a need to let Google and Apple decide who will run the country...just because the US allowed it.
Facing Kremlin pressure, Apple and Google on Friday removed an opposition.
Democrats ticked off only they can play the Russia Russia game.
Haha I never heard of that story before.
Crush of 5 million iPhone 13 preorders in China took down websites
William Gallagher | Sep 22, 2021
https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/09/22/crush-of-iphone-13-orders-in-china-exceeded-5-million
[snip] The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the first to go on backorder, but reportedly it was shortly followed by all iPhone 13 models. Delivery dates are now estimated to begin in the second week of October, as opposed to the original September 24 date [/snip]
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