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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Alex Hern UK technology editor

Apple removes Russian Facebook competitor VK from App Store

A picture shows the logo of Russian social media platform VK (formerly VKontakte) during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), at the ExpoForum convention and exhibition centre in Saint Petersburg, on June 15, 2022.
Russian social media platform VK (formerly VKontakte) is part-owned by state-linked Russian banks. Photograph: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images

Apple has removed VK, Russia’s homegrown Facebook competitor, from its App Store globally, citing conflicts with British sanctions.

In a statement on the social network’s website, the company said the app would continue to work on smartphones that had already installed it before the takedown, but warned users that “there may be difficulties with notifications and payments” as a result.

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