Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said smartphone giant Apple has been preventing users across the globe from updating the messaging app ever since Russian regulators demanded its removal from the App Store in mid-April.

In a Telegram message, Durov said the decision means some of the app’s features, such as stickers, don’t work correctly on iOS 11.4. It also prevented the app from being able to fully comply with GDPR regulations for EU-users, which came into effect on 25 May, he added.

The CEO apologised for any inconvenience to users, adding: “We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated.”

Russia’s ban on Telegram went into effect in April, after a Moscow court ruled against Telegram’s decision to withhold encryption keys which would give the Russian government access to user data.

Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications watchdog, recently reiterated its call for Apple to remove Telegram from the App Store and pressed it to block push notifications from the app.

But Durov said Telegram still believes it made the right choice. “We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t side with us.”