Russia’s reviews and concerns about Apple have been going on for a while. According to a report very recently, Russian authorities have begun to ban government employees from using Apple devices in official government institutions. While the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reports that Apple products are not safe, government employees will no longer be able to use products such as iPhone, iPad, Mac.Russian blow to Apple products
According to the statements, the ban will begin with the decision taken by the Ministry of Commerce of the country as of today. On the other hand, other institutions, including Russia’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Communications, either already have similar orders or plan to implement them soon. The new ban applies not only to the iPhone, but also to all Apple’s products.
However, at the beginning of June, it was claimed that Apple devices were not safe as part of the espionage operation of the US intelligence agencies carried out by the Russian Federal Security Service. While explaining that thousands of iPhones were “infected” with tracking software, the FSB claimed without citing evidence that Apple was working closely with US intelligence agencies and providing “a wide array of control tools”. The tech giant denied these claims, stating that it “has never worked and will never work with any government to build a backdoor on any Apple product.”
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, the company cut off access to Apple Pay and subsequently stopped its sales in the country. At that time, Apple made it clear that this decision was a response to the occupation and stated that it stood by “all people” who were harmed by the occupation. Additionally, this banning move reflects the Russian government’s desire to reduce its reliance on foreign technology. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree last year ordering institutions related to “critical information infrastructure” to switch to domestic software by 2025.
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