Apple and Google removed from their online stores an opposition-created smartphone app that tells voters which candidates are likely to defeat those backed by Russian authorities. Apple and Google have come under pressure in recent weeks, with Russian officials telling them to remove the Smart Voting app from their online stores. The Council's commission on protecting state sovereignty said in a statement afterward that Apple agreed to cooperate with Russian authorities. Navalny's team also created a Smart Voting chat bot on the messaging app Telegram and published a list of candidates Smart Voting endorses in Google Docs and on YouTube. Peskov on Friday called Smart Voting "another attempt at provocations that are harmful for the voters."

Source: New Zealand Herald September 17, 2021 20:03 UTC