The Russian government has banned the use of iPhones by officials and officials involved in the preparations for the country’s 2024 presidential elections. The main concern, says the newspaper Kommersant, is that the devices may be vulnerable to spying by Western intelligence agencies.
Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy head of the presidential administration, is said to have asked at a seminar that all phones be changed by April 1. “It’s all over for the iPhone: throw it away or give it to the kids,” Kommersant said, quoting one of the meeting participants. “Everyone will have to do it in March.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, has yet to confirm the guidance. “Smartphones must not be used for official business,” he told the press. “Any smartphone has a pretty transparent mechanism, regardless of the operating system — Android or iOS. Naturally, they are not used for official purposes.”
It is said that the Kremlin can provide officers with other devices with different operating systems reserved for matters involving national security. President Vladimir Putin says he doesn’t own a smartphone, although Peskov said the politician accesses the internet occasionally. Apple has not yet commented on the case, according to Reuters.
