The Financial Times reported that Russian authorities have instructed government employees to stop using Apple devices for official purposes due to concerns about US espionage. The ban has already been implemented, with the Russian trade ministry set to prohibit the use of iPhones for work-related activities starting Monday. The decision to enforce this ban came after Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed to have uncovered alleged spying operations involving Apple devices by US intelligence agencies.
The FSB also claimed that thousands of iPhones, including those used by the country’s diplomatic mission in NATO countries, have been monitored and infected. They alleged that Apple has been collaborating closely with US intelligence to provide control tools to agents.
Apple has responded by stating that they are not involved in any alleged actions with specific countries, and they emphasized that the claims and allegations by the FSB were presented without evidence, according to media reports.
Apart from government agencies, Russia’s telecommunication and mass media industry are also planning to enforce a similar ban on Apple products. The ban applies to all Apple products, but officials can still use the devices for personal purposes with restrictions on accessing work-related correspondence.
According to Andrey Soldatov, a Russian security and intelligence services expert, the FSB has expressed ongoing worries about the utilization of iPhones for official communications. However, the presidential administration and other officials resisted imposing any restrictions due to their personal affinity for iPhones, Financial Times stated in the report.
Apple has not yet commented on the ban. Previously, the company had already cut access to Apple Pay following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, and it had halted the sale of its products in Russia as a response to the invasion, expressing solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The ban on Apple products is seen as a move by the Russian government to reduce dependence on foreign-made technology and products.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree last year mandating institutions involved in critical information infrastructure to transition to domestically developed software by 2025, as revealed by the Financial Times.
