Russia: Tagansky District Court fined Apple for alleged dissemination of prohibited sexual content

On 19 May 2025, the Tagansky District Court in Moscow imposed three administrative fines totalling RUB 7.5 million on Apple Distribution International Ltd. Two fines were issued under Article 6.21, Part 3 of the Code of Administrative Offences, which prohibits the dissemination of materials presenting non-traditional sexual relations to an indeterminate audience. A third fine was imposed under Article 13.41, Part 2, for failure to remove content designated for deletion under Russian law. These rulings marked the first instance of Apple being sanctioned under Article 6.21. The hearings were conducted in closed session due to the inclusion of confidential corporate information. The rulings followed the designation of the international LGBT movement as extremist by the Russian Supreme Court in November 2023.