Apple has agreed to handover Crimea to Russia after talks with a miffed government over how the disputed territory is displayed on Apple Maps.
Apple Maps now shows Crimea, which the Russians annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as a part of Russian territory.
But the change is reflected only in the app inside Russia, the BBC reported. Apple Maps elsewhere does not show Crimea as part of any country. Similarly, Google Maps does not show Crimea belonging to either Russia or Ukraine, though Google uses the Russian spelling of Crimea.
Apple also made changes to two cities, Sevastopol and Simferopol, at the request of the State Duma, which is Russia’s lower parliament.
A team from Apple had been in talks with the Russian government over what officials described as an “inaccuracy” over the labeling of Crimea, according to the BBC. Apple initially offered to show Crimea as an undefined territory.
But Apple apparently acquiesced for the Russian version of the Maps app. A statement from a Duma official said Apple has complied with the Russian Constitution.
Source: BBC News
