Apple To Rethink Map Policies On Featuring Disputed Territories On App

Apple is currently looking more into its policies regarding mapping out territories on its map app. The company is about to decide on how to show territories that are disputed between countries, such as Crimea, on its map.

Apple spokesperson Trudy Miller said that for international users, Crimea’s territory on the map is different from that of Russian versions of the Apple map, which shows that Crimea is under Russia, Reuters reported. A new law in Russia went into effect that requires maps to reflect this territory as such. However, Crimea is still a disputed territory between Russia and Ukraine as of the moment.

“We review international law as well as relevant U.S. and other domestic laws before making a determination in labeling on our Maps and make changes if required by law,” Miller said to the news outlet. “We are taking a deeper look at how we handle disputed borders in our services and may make changes in the future as a result.”

Both Russia and Ukraine have been critical of how international companies look at Crimea since Moscow annexed its territory in 2014. Due to Russian legalities, Apple currently reflects the territory as part of Russia but still in Ukraine for other countries.

On the other end, Apple could potentially experience a drop in sales in Russia as the country plans to introduce Russian-made apps into smartphones in 2020. The state-prescribed apps are developed in Russia, and any smartphone that doesn’t have these apps will be barred from being sold in the country. Apple has yet to provide any statements confirming if it’ll be able to screen the Russian apps in iTunes despite any changes in legalities.

For now, we’ll have to wait for how Apple will handle the new Russian laws affecting its apps and smartphones.