Apple App Store Pulls Russian Social Network VKontakte

Apple pulling Russian social media platform VK, long known as VKontakte, from the App Store means users who already have the application on their iPhones will no longer get security or performance updates. Olga MALTSEVA AFP
Apple pulling Russian social media platform VK, long known as VKontakte, from the App Store means users who already have the application on their iPhones will no longer get security or performance updates. Olga MALTSEVA AFP
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Apple App Store Pulls Russian Social Network VKontakte

Apple pulling Russian social media platform VK, long known as VKontakte, from the App Store means users who already have the application on their iPhones will no longer get security or performance updates. Olga MALTSEVA AFP
Apple pulling Russian social media platform VK, long known as VKontakte, from the App Store means users who already have the application on their iPhones will no longer get security or performance updates. Olga MALTSEVA AFP

Apple on Wednesday confirmed that it removed popular Russian social network VKontakte from its App Store globally due to sanctions imposed by Britain.

The British government on Monday sanctioned 92 Russian individuals and entities after President Vladimir Putin's regime held referendums in Moscow-controlled areas of Ukraine -- denounced by Kyiv and its allies as a "sham" -- and stepped up threats against the West, AFP said.

"Sham referendums held at the barrel of a gun cannot be free or fair and we will never recognize their results," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

The sanctions target "those behind these sham votes, as well as the individuals that continue to prop up the Russian regime's war of aggression," he said.

San Petersburg-based tech firm VK said in a blog post that some of its applications were no longer available from the App Store, which serves as the lone gateway for content onto Apple mobile devices.

VK apps are used for messaging, digital payments and grocery shopping as well as social networking.

The VK apps removed from the App Store were being distributed by developers controlled or majority-owned by parties sanctioned by the UK government, and Apple is complying with the law, according to the Silicon Valley tech giant.

Apple said that it terminated developer accounts associated with the apps, which were not available from the App Store regardless of users' locations.

People who have already installed the apps on devices can still use them, but updates will no longer be provided through the App Store, according to Apple and VK.

"Their core functionality will be familiar and stable," VKontakte-parent VK said of the apps.

"There may be difficulties with the work of notifications and payments."



Nvidia’s Market Value Tops $4 Trillion

Nvidia logo is seen in this illustration created on January 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Nvidia logo is seen in this illustration created on January 27, 2025. (Reuters)
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Nvidia’s Market Value Tops $4 Trillion

Nvidia logo is seen in this illustration created on January 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Nvidia logo is seen in this illustration created on January 27, 2025. (Reuters)

Nvidia's stock market value ended the trading session above $4 trillion for the first time on Thursday, solidifying the chipmaker's position as Wall Street's central player in a race to dominate AI technology.

Shares of Nvidia ended up 0.75% at $164.10, giving it a market value of $4.004 trillion and extending its lead over Apple and Microsoft as it benefits from a surge in demand for artificial-intelligence technologies.

Nvidia's stock market value briefly peaked above $4 trillion on Wednesday before closing at about $3.97 trillion. It is worth more than the combined value of all publicly listed companies in the UK.

Nvidia's high-end processors are at the center of a race between Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms and other Wall Street heavyweights to build AI data centers and dominate the emerging technology.

Nvidia is also exposed to conflict between Washington and Beijing over trade, including restrictions on exports to China of its most powerful chips.

"Trade tensions and tariffs are a risk, as is competition. Greater AI adoption could shift part of the demand toward cheaper alternatives," Swissquote Bank senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya wrote in a client note.

Nvidia achieved a $1 trillion market value for the first time in June 2023 and tripled it in about a year, faster than Apple and Microsoft, the only other US firms with market values above $3 trillion.

Microsoft is the second most valuable US company, with a market capitalization of $3.73 trillion. Its shares dipped 0.4% on Thursday.

Apple's stock has tumbled 15% so far in 2025, leaving its market value at $3.17 trillion, reflecting investor worries that the iPhone maker has been slow to introduce AI into its products and services.

Even after its meteoric rally, Nvidia's stock is valued at about 33 times expected earnings, below its five-year average of 41, according to LSEG.