Russia’s competition regulator has ordered Apple to make a Russian search engine — such as Yandex or Mail.ru — the default option on devices sold in the country, accusing the U.S. tech giant of violating consumer protection laws.

In a letter to Apple cited by the state news agency TASS, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said Apple’s current setup gives preference to foreign search engines, putting local providers at a “competitive disadvantage” and infringing on consumers’ rights.

Russian law requires that smartphones and other electronic devices sold in the country come with a preinstalled search engine developed in Russia or another member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). It must also be set as the default and work immediately without additional configuration, according to the FAS.

Apple has until October 31 to comply with the authorities’ demands or face penalties. The Russian Ministry of Digital Development said it had separately sent a letter to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, warning of “serious consequences” if the company fails to comply.

Officials cited Google as an example, noting that the company had previously agreed to similar regulatory demands and implemented a “choice screen” for users to select their preferred search engine.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

The move is the latest in a series of clashes between Apple and Moscow. In 2022, the FAS accused Apple of abusing its dominance in the iOS app market, resulting in a fine of over $13 million in 2024.

Apple officially halted sales of its products in Russia in March 2022, shortly after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The company also restricted some services, including Apple Pay. However, its devices remain widely available through so-called “parallel imports” — a legal mechanism allowing retailers to import genuine goods without the manufacturer’s authorization.

Despite its withdrawal, Apple has previously complied with several Russian government requests. Last November, it removed a news app by U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from the Russian App Store. Earlier that month, it restricted access to podcasts from independent outlets including The Insider, Echo of Moscow and BBC Russia.

In July, Apple reportedly removed nearly 25 VPN applications from the Russian App Store at the request of the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, citing violations of local laws. VPNs are widely used in Russia to bypass state censorship and access blocked websites.