Russia bans officials from using iPhones over cyber espionage concerns.
Discussions have already begun about the upcoming presidential election in Russia, and the Kremlin has warned government officials to stop using their iPhones, over concerns that they may be vulnerable to spying by Western security services .
According to the newspaper Kommersant, the Russian government has announced this strict policy that applies to any official involved in preparations for Russia's 2024 presidential election.
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The head of Russia's presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, has given officials "involved in domestic politics" until April 1 to give up their iPhones.
According to the newspaper Kommersant, the Kremlin may provide other devices with different operating systems to replace the iPhones.
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“It’s all over for the iPhone: either throw it away or give it to the kids,” one of the officials said during the meeting. “Everyone should do it in March.”
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovsaid: “Smartphones should not be used for official business. Every smartphone has a fairly transparent mechanism, regardless of the operating system it has – Android or iOS. Of course, they are not used for official purposes.”
President Vladimir Putin has always said he does not have a smartphone, although Peskov said Putin uses the Internet from time to time.
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As we mentioned above, Russia wants to ban iPhones due to fears of cyber espionage. Cyber espionage is an increasingly common threat to governments around the world. Cyber espionage is a type of malicious activity that involves unauthorized access, theft, or manipulation of data from a network’s systems. In today’s digital world, where so much sensitive information is stored electronically, it’s more important than ever to take protective measures.
It is worth noting that Apple also stopped sales in Russia when the company invaded Ukraine last year.
Source: 9to5mac.com
