After last week’s announcement from Apple that it would stop its product sales in Russia, Apple has now informed its developer communities that it’ is suspending its Search Ad services on the Apple App Store in RU. According to an email shared WITH DEVs, Apple Search Ads ads — which allow developers to run ad campaigns on the Apple App Store — have now been placed on hold in RU.“until further notice.”
The email also included that no new Search Ad campaigns will be running on the App Store in RU. until the duration of the suspension.
Apple has suspended all search ads on the Russian app store. pic.twitter.com/gUGvPsdRsz
— James Thomson (@jamesthomson) March 7, 2022
FYI 👇 pic.twitter.com/BSCfWsWGJA
— Ariel (@arielmichaeli) March 7, 2022
Developers said they had received the email at the email address they had used to sign up for Ads with in the past. However, the mails are not only being sent to App Store developers based in RU or to those with active Search Ads campaigns within the country — other developers in global markets have received the email, as well, even if they weren’t running campaigns in that particular region.
Apple hasn’t commented on the matter. But it is confirmed the email (seen above) is correct.
The move to pause the Search Ads in Russia follows Apple’s recent decision to pause all sales countrywide, and limiting Apple Pay Services, and remove the RU state-owned media apps RT News and Sputnik News from the App Store in all markets based outside Russia. The company disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety measure.
Apple has made the announcement after Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov penned an open letter to CEO Tim Cook which asks Apple to stop supplying Apple services and products to Russia. The letter also asked Cook to block access to the App Store in Russia, which Apple hasn’t done yet done. However, suspending the Search Ads business in Russia, Apple is taking another big step to further remove Russia and step away from doing business in the country.
