After Big Tech steps in to cut off Russia in wake of Ukraine invasion, experts say it was an easy call because Russia spends so little on a global scale, but could trap Apple and others when and if a larger customer like China makes a similar move.
When Apple Inc. paused sales in Russia last week, it made a powerful political statement, but it also may have set a dangerous precedent.
Big Tech has become as powerful and responsible as the top nation-states in the world. So when Russia invaded Ukraine, Apple AAPL, -1.17% and many of the world’s largest tech companies were immediately asked to step in and act as a country would, with sanctions. Last week, the floodgates opened after the iPhone maker cut off sales in Russia and stopped allowing certain Russian news apps from spreading outside the country.
