Should US tech companies intervene to discourage Russia from invading Ukraine? On Friday, a Ukrainian vice prime minister called on Apple to do just that.
“I’ve contacted Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions,” tweeted out Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation.
The tweet included a picture of the official letter Fedorov sent to Apple’s CEO urging him to stop offering all company products and services in Russia, including the iOS App Store. The goal is to create public unrest and motivate the Russian people to demand their government call off the invasion of Ukraine.
“The whole world is repelling the aggressor through the imposition of sanctions — the enemy must suffer significant losses. But we need your support,” Fedorov wrote to Apple's CEO. “In 2022, modern technology is perhaps the best answer to the tanks, multiple rocket launchers (hrad) and missiles.”
He then added: “We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.”
The letter arrived a day after the White House imposed sweeping sanctions against Russia for the invasion. The sanctions are designed to cripple the country’s banking system and block certain US technology exports, including software, to the country. However, the export controls mainly target the Russian defense, aerospace, and maritime sectors, not the Russian consumer market. A carve-out was even made for “Consumer Communications Devices.”
So far, Apple hasn’t commented on the letter. But on social media, there’s been growing calls for US tech companies to stand up against Russia, whether it be to combat disinformation online or to pressure the Kremlin into stopping the invasion. PCMag’s own Sascha Segan has written a column explaining why the US and its allies should consider cutting off Russia from the rest of the internet.
In the meantime, Apple’s CEO has only publicly said that he’s “deeply concerned” with the conflict in Ukraine. “We’re doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harm’s way and joining all those calling for peace,” Cook wrote in a tweet the day before.