Apple blocks access to Search Ads for Russian companies

Advertising service Search Ads becomes unavailable for use by any Russian company. Apple informed iOS developers about this.

The Apple company explains its move by changes in the Russian tax legislation, which will come into force on January 1, 2019.

The corporation suspends any advertising campaigns in Search Ads by companies from Russia from December 12 of this year.

Starting next year, foreign companies providing services in electronic form on the territory of the Russian Federation are required to independently calculate and pay VAT on the cost of services.  They can no longer do this through tax agents.

Search Ads is Apple’s official advertising tool, an analogue of Google Play AdWords. With its help, iOS publishers can, among other things, purchase places in search results for certain queries in the App Store.