Russian authorities seem to have gotten the best of Apple, as the Cupertino company is now showing Crimea as part of the Russian territory, according to a report from the BBC. The State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, said that both Crimea and Sevastopol are now treated as part of the Russian territory by the Maps and Weather apps on Apple devices.
However, the change has only been made for users in Russia. Users looking for Crimea from outside of Russia will see the region as undefined territory. Specifically, the report suggests that devices using the Russian App Store will see this change.
The Crimea region was formerly considered part of Ukraine, but Russian forces annexed the territory in 2014, despite international criticism. Google Maps treats Crimea as undefined territory, but users in Russia will see the Russian spelling for cities in the region, instead of Ukrainian names.
Apple complying with Russian orders may be a controversial move, but it isn't the first time something like this has happened. Apple also followed the authorities' orders when the country blocked access to messaging service Telegram. The ban resulted in a few months without app updates for iOS users around the world.
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