Russia tightened its already harsh restrictions in 2023 on the portrayal of what it calls “non-traditional sexual relations”. The crackdown is part of a broader campaign by the Kremlin to suppress LGBTQ+ rights, which President Vladimir Putin frames as a defence against what he claims is the West’s moral decline.

In this latest ruling, the Tagansky District Court found Apple Distribution International Ltd guilty of three administrative offences tied to LGBT-related content. The company was hit with three separate fines of 2.5 million roubles each. A fourth fine, totalling 3 million roubles, was issued for Apple’s alleged failure to restrict access to certain online content the Russian authorities consider illegal. The specific content was not disclosed.

Apple has not yet responded publicly. According to independent news outlet Mediazona, Apple’s representative in court requested the hearings be held behind closed doors, meaning the exact details of the cases remain unclear.

Late last year, Russia officially labelled the "international LGBT movement" as extremist. Supporting it is now equated with terrorism, opening the door to severe criminal prosecution against LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Previous fines under the controversial law have also targeted movie streaming platforms and their executives.