PRESS: Antitrust wants foreign OS to give more room for Russian apps

MOSCOW, Feb 3 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service has suggested obliging U.S. developers of operating systems Apple, Google and Microsoft along with manufacturers of smartphones, tablets and computers to expand preinstallation of Russian applications and programs, business daily Kommersant reported on Monday.

The antitrust service wants to expand requirements on preinstallation of domestic applications and programs on smartphones, tablets, computers and Smart TV on the operating system owners.

The service also wants Apple, Google and Microsoft to make it possible to fully delete preinstalled programs, including their own, upon a client’s decision if the move does not trouble functioning of a device.

The law obliging manufacturers to preinstall Russian applications on smartphones, tablets, computers and Smart TV was signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2019 and will take effect on July 1.

In 2020, devices will be equipped with Russia-made maps and search, while an antivirus, state services, messengers and social networks will be preinstalled from 2021. The law is to be fulfilled by manufacturers or by distributors and retailers upon an agreement with manufacturers.

The Russian Association for Electronic Communications’ (RAEC) senior analyst Karen Kazaryan said that Apple, Google and Microsoft work in the country via middlemen and distributors, and there will be no serious risks for them and the companies would hardly agree to follow the antitrust service’s requirements.

“Vendors of devices and owners of operating systems earn on preinstallation, and it’s unprofitable for them to ensure a full deletion of applications,” the expert said.

End