WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Friday released the following statement after Apple and Google took down an election app created by allies of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny:

“Apple and Google’s decision to kowtow to Putin’s pressure campaign is deeply troubling and a blow to those in Russia fighting for a more free and open future. But it’s also a reminder of Putin’s deep authoritarian insecurities, which led him to lock up his most prominent critic and designate the Anti-Corruption Foundation as an extremist group,” said Murphy. “For months, the Russian government has threatened Apple and Google employees in the country, and unfortunately, it looks like their campaign of intimidation worked. This raises real questions about whether Apple, Google and other U.S. tech companies should continue to have an on the ground presence in Russia if this gives Russia leverage to get these companies to restrict speech rights.”

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