Russia opens case against Apple in App Store payment dispute

Russia has opened an antitrust case against Apple for failing to allow app developers to tell customers about alternative payment options when using its App Store platform, Russia's anti-monopoly regulator said on Wednesday. 

The U.S. tech giant could face a fine based on its revenue in Russia if found guilty of a breach, the regulator said. It did not indicate the size of any potential fine.

The company was earlier issued with a warning over the issue and given a Sept. 30 deadline to "stop abuse on the market", the Roskomnadzor regulator said in a statement.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Russia has stepped up a long-running crackdown on U.S. tech giants this year in a push to expand its sovereignty over the internet in Russia.

Apple faced pushback over its App Store rules in the United States last month when a federal judge issued a ruling forcing the company to allow developers to send their users to other payment systems.