Russian authorities have begun imposing restrictions on government employees’ use of Apple devices in official government establishments, the Financial Times reported.
Starting this week, the country’s ministry of commerce is banning all “business” use of iPhones. Other institutions, including Russia’s telecommunications and mass media ministry, either already have similar rules or plan to start enforcing them soon. Also, the Times reports that the ban covers all Apple products. However, in some cases, authorities will be able to continue to use these devices for personal use, provided that they do not open business correspondence on them.
Apple has not yet made a statement on the subject. After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the company cut off access to Apple Pay in the country and subsequently stopped all product sales in Russia. At that time, Apple stated that it stood by all the people who were harmed by the occupation, making it clear that the decision was a response to the occupation.
The ban comes after Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed in early June that it had uncovered a “spy operation by US intelligence agencies” involving Apple devices. The FSB said thousands of iPhones, including those used by the country’s diplomatic missions in NATO countries, were “infected” with tracking software. While the FSB did not show any evidence, it continued its statement, claiming that Apple was working closely with US communications intelligence to provide agents with a wide variety of control tools. The tech giant denied these allegations, stating that it “has not worked and will never work with any government to create a backdoor on any Apple product.”
In a broader sense, it can be said that this decision reflects the desire of the Russian government to reduce its dependence on foreign technology. As The Times noted, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree last year, ordering institutions in critical information infrastructure to switch to locally developed software by 2025.
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