Russian Man Drops Lawsuit Claiming Apple Turned Him Gay

Gusnieva said Razumilov faced pressure online after "haters found his information" and "Apple supporters began to write to him".

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 17 October 2019 16:56 IST

A Russian man who filed a lawsuit against Apple after claiming an iPhone app turned him gay has withdrawn his complaint due to privacy fears, his lawyer said Thursday.

"Today we abandoned the legal demands," his attorney Sapizhat Gusnieva said after a first hearing behind closed doors in a Moscow court.

Her client, identified in the lawsuit as D.E. Razumilov, "no longer wants to continue with the case," she told reporters at the court.

Advertisement

Gusnieva said Razumilov faced pressure online after "haters found his information" and "Apple supporters began to write to him".

Advertisement

He decided not to go forward because he would have needed to attend forthcoming hearings.

In the original complaint, Razumilov claimed to have been turned gay after he ordered Bitcoins through an iPhone app but received a different currency called "GayCoin" with the note: "Don't judge until you try."

Advertisement

He subsequently broke up with his girlfriend and began a relationship with a man which made him ashamed, Gusnieva said.

He had been initially seeking RUB 1 million ($15,560) in damages from Apple.

Advertisement

An Apple representative at Thursday's hearing did not make any comments to the media.

Homophobia is widespread in Russia where reports of rights violations and attacks on LGBT people are common, though there are gay scenes in major cities.

Moscow in 2013 introduced a law against "gay propaganda", which officially bans the "promotion of non-traditional lifestyles to minors" but in effect outlaws LGBT activism.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Russia, Apple
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. OTT Releases This Week: Mahavatar Narsimha, The Bads of Bollywood, and More
  2. Biggest Offers on Smartphones During Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale
  3. Amazon Sale 2025: Top Deals on Logitech, Dell, HP, and More PC Accessories
  4. Xiaomi 17 Series Pre-Orders Start in China
  5. Instamart Quick India Movement Sale 2025: Best Offers on Electronics
  6. Vivo, iQOO Smartphones Likely to Switch to Origin OS in India
  1. Amazon Sale 2025: Mac Mini (2024) Price Drops to an All-Time Low in India
  2. Xiaomi 17 Series Tipped to Launch on September 30
  3. Vivo, iQOO Smartphones Likely to Switch to Origin OS in India, Replacing Funtouch OS
  4. iPhone 18 Pro Models Tipped to Retain iPhone 17 Pro Design, Could Feature Transparent Back
  5. Tencent Says Sony 'Monopolising' Genre Conventions, Seeks Dismissal of Light of Motiram Lawsuit
  6. Samsung Galaxy A17 4G Launched With MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, 5,000mAh Battery: Price, Specifications
  7. Instamart Quick India Movement Sale 2025 Goes Live: Best Offers on Smartphones, Smartwatches and More
  8. Bitcoin Stabilises Near $116,900 as Altcoins Push Higher
  9. Mahavatar Narsimha Now Streaming on Netflix: Everything You Need to Know About This Animated Mythological Drama
  10. Nintendo Switch Online Adds First Third-Party Game Boy Advance Titles from Namco This September
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.