VKontakte

Kate Mobile Loses VK API Access After New Request Limits Exhaust Quota in 1.5 Days

Popular third-party Android client Kate Mobile has been cut off from VK services following the introduction of strict monthly API request caps. VK implemented the new limits on September 7, offering verified partners up to 100 million requests per month while requiring payment for additional access by third-party services. Kate Mobile developers had requested pricing details in advance but received no response from VK. Calculations showed that the app's real user base would consume the entire 100-million-request allowance in roughly 36 hours, with the messages.send method alone generating twice the allowed volume. Caching optimizations cannot mitigate the issue because message sending cannot be cached. Developers view the change as an effort to eliminate alternative clients rather than a genuine monetization strategy. Users expressed disappointment, praising the app's long-term support and criticizing the official VK client for excessive features and advertising.

How to Detect and Remove Stolen Photos from Fake Profiles, Listings and Ads

Photos are frequently stolen from social networks, old listings, building chats and review sites, then reused in fake profiles, advertisements and rental scams. Russian law under Article 152.1 of the Civil Code protects the right to one's image, while separate copyright rules protect the photographer. Victims are advised to gather strong evidence including full-page screenshots, PDF copies and original files before contacting platforms. Search tools such as Yandex Images, Google Lens and TinEye help locate copies across multiple services. Complaints can be filed directly with site administrators on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Avito and Telegram, or escalated to Roskomnadzor and police when personal data or fraud is involved. Preventive steps include lowering image resolution, adding watermarks and restricting album visibility through privacy settings.

Russia's FAS Opens Antitrust Case Against Apple for Failing to Pre-Install Domestic Software on iOS Devices

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has initiated proceedings against Apple after the company failed to comply with a prior warning to pre-install Russian software on iPhones and iPads. The case stems from requirements under Russian law to offer domestic alternatives for search engines, messengers, and app stores. Apple had added support for a Russian search engine in a software update, but this did not satisfy regulators who also demanded the national messenger and domestic app store. Non-compliance could result in a fine reaching up to 4 billion rubles under the Code of Administrative Offenses. The government has already approved a mandatory list of Russian applications that must be pre-installed on smartphones and tablets starting January 1, 2027. The list includes RuStore, Max, Yandex Browser, Alice AI, VKontakte, Gosuslugi, Mir Pay, Mail.ru, and 2GIS among others.

How Russia's Article 10.1 on Personal Data Dissemination Emerged: Legislative History and Reform Flaws

The article examines the origins of Article 10.1 in Federal Law 152-FZ, introduced via bill 1057337-7 by deputy Anton Gorelk in in November 2020. It traces how the reform aimed to separate publication, access, extraction, and reuse of personal data but retained outdated definitions from the original law and added exceptions that created contradictions. The piece details pre-reform court rulings, including Supreme Court decisions confirming that open internet profiles do not automatically qualify as publicly available data under Article 8. It highlights the committee's own admission that the bill failed to meet its stated goals and the Legal Department's warning about inconsistent terminology around 'access' and 'transfer'. The resulting 519-FZ law is described as an imprecise attempt to solve real control problems with unsuitable conceptual tools, leaving operators unable to apply the rules consistently.

EU Adds Russian Tech Giant VK to Sanctions List Over Development of National Messenger MAX

The European Union has included VK in its sanctions regime, targeting the parent company of Russia’s largest social media platforms including VKontakte and Odnoklassniki. The move was triggered by VK’s ownership of the developer behind the national messenger application MAX, which Russian authorities have been promoting as a domestic digital platform. According to the Council of the EU, VK serves as the parent structure for LLC Communication Platform, the entity directly responsible for creating and operating MAX. The sanctions decision was formally published on 13 July in the Official Journal of the European Union, marking the first time Brussels has directly sanctioned a major Russian IT holding in connection with a consumer messaging service. While the exact operational and commercial consequences for VK, its subsidiaries, and international partners remain unspecified in the official notice, the action extends EU restrictive measures beyond traditional sectors such as banking, energy, and manufacturing into the Russian technology industry. VK’s press service stated that the sanctions do not affect the functioning of VK or MAX and that all applications and services remain available to users without disruption.