The Russian invasion of Ukraine is logically triggering a lot. Several tech companies are reacting to it in different ways. Apple has already let it be known which side it is on. But it doesn’t stop there, because now we see that the iPhone maker is also making a remarkable change to Apple Maps.
Back in 2019, Apple previously made a notable change to Apple Maps. At the time, Crimea was shown as part of Russia, for those living in that country and region. In other parts of the world, Crimea was indicated as an independent territory. But that is now changing once again.
Crimea belongs to Ukraine
Apple Maps will now state that Crimea is now part of Ukraine, as it was before Russia’s President Vladimir Putin annexed the peninsula. That happened in 2014; since then, few countries have acknowledged that Crimea now belongs to Russia.
Crimea belongs to Ukraine (Image: 9to5Mac)
This change can be seen in almost all parts of the world, except Russia. There, by law, both Apple and Google, as well as other map app providers, must show that Crimea belongs to that country. Otherwise, they are not allowed to release their product in the giant country.
Apple is fighting its own battle
Apple is throwing its weight behind Russia in its own way. Earlier, the company announced that sales of its products there are stopped because the iPhone maker does not support the war with Ukraine. In addition, the app of state broadcaster RT has been removed from the App Store worldwide, except in Russia.
Furthermore, both the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions, making payment service Apple Pay unavailable in that country as well. In the meantime, Apple is monitoring the situation there and considering whether further measures are necessary.
