Russian authorities have recently taken decisive actions to ban the use of iPhones and other Apple products due to concerns regarding potential spying activities by the American tech giant. The Ministry of Trade has issued instructions, effective from today, prohibiting the use of iPhones for “work purposes.”
The Ministry of Digital Development and Rostec, a state-owned company previously sanctioned for supplying Russia’s military in Ukraine, have either implemented similar bans or expressed their intention to do so.
Heightened Espionage Worries The Kremlin and the Federal Security Service (FSB) spy agency are increasingly alarmed by the possibility of espionage attempts by US intelligence agencies targeting Russian state institutions. The ban on Apple products within various ministries and institutions at the Kremlin serves as a clear indication of these mounting concerns.
According to a source closely connected to a government agency implementing the ban, security officials within ministries, particularly FSB employees in civilian positions such as deputy ministers, have declared iPhones as insecure and advised seeking alternative devices for work purposes.
This recent ban aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s earlier directive, issued after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which instructed agencies and organizations involved in “critical information infrastructure” to transition to domestically developed software by 2025.
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