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Apple and Google Remove Navalny App, Drawing U.S. Senator’s Anger

Apple’s Navalny App Removal Draws U.S. Senator Anger

A move that pleased the Kremlin is drawing Washington’s anger.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy says it’s “indefensible” of Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google to remove a protest-voting app tied to opposition leader Alexey Navalny from their Russian online stores. 

Navalny’s so-called smart-voting initiative aims to galvanize discontent over stagnant living standards to defeat ruling party candidates. Russia is holding three days of voting for the State Duma lower house of parliament from Friday to Sunday, in which President Vladimir Putin’s unpopular United Russia party is counting on a commanding victory.

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