The Tagansky District Court of Moscow imposed a series of fines on Apple Distribution International Ltd. (Apple’s Irish subsidiary, which operates the Apple TV+ service) under a law prohibiting the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relationships.” The basis for the prosecution was the distribution of documentaries on the platform that, according to Russian authorities, promote “non-traditional values.”
The exact titles of the films that led to the proceedings are not disclosed in the court documents. All that is known is that these are documentary-style audiovisual works available to Apple TV+ users. The court ruled that the company had distributed content that violated Russian law.
The case file contains a “whole stack” of fines. Specifically, one of them amounts to 3.5 million rubles was imposed for failing to comply with the procedure for restricting access to illegal content. Apple representatives insisted that the hearings be held in camera, citing the need to preserve the confidentiality of the company’s internal documents; the Moscow City Court has already rejected the company’s appeals.
Has Apple been fined for this before?
Yes, this isn't the first case of its kind. In 2025, the total amount of fines imposed on Apple for similar violations had already reached several million rubles. Russian courts regularly apply Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation to foreign streaming services and tech giants.
Is the company still operating in Russia?
Despite suspending official sales of its devices, Apple continues to actively protect its intellectual property in the Russian market. The company extended the validity of six of its trademarks in Russia until 2036.
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