Starting next month, Apple will allow the Russian government to pre-install apps on iPhones, iPads, and possibly other devices like Macs in the future.
Under a new Russian law, Apple users will see a dialog box during the initial setup of new devices that will list web browsers, antivirus programs, messengers, email clients and more that will be pre-selected for installation by default. The list of apps will be provided by the government.
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All apps on the list are pre-selected for installation as part of the setup, however, users have the option to deselect apps individually if they don't want them.
You'll also be able to delete these pre-installed apps after setup is complete, just like any other third-party app downloaded from the App Store. The existence of these screens on iOS was discovered by 9to5Mac.
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As you can imagine, this is a very serious move on Apple's part. The company has fought hard to prevent retailers from tampering with iPhones. This is in contrast to the Android market, where it is common for phones to come with pre-installed apps.
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The legislation comes into effect on April 1, 2021. Apple had previously threatened to leave the Russian market if it came into effect, but it appears to have not carried out its threats and is now complying with the law.
Information source: 9to5mac.com
