Find out which smartphone cannot be used in Russia. Find out the reasons.
Russia is known for being a very reserved nation, closed to the rest of the world, especially when it comes to foreign technology. Another well-known point is the conflict that the country has had with the United States, which has been going on since the 1940s, at the beginning of the Cold War.
After this confrontation without physical combat, the two powers never aligned again and have been exchanging public barbs for years. One of the latest battles was initiated by the Eurasian country, which questioned the security of American cell phones on its territory. To understand better, continue reading.
Cell phone ban
The Financial Times reports that Russian authorities have begun banning thousands of government employees from using Apple devices for official state functions. Starting Monday, the nation's Commerce Department will ban the iPhone usage for all “commercial purposes”.
These restrictions have already been implemented or will soon be implemented by other authorities, including the Russian Ministry of Communications and Media. It is worth noting that this ban does not limit itself to smartphones, but applies to all Apple products. However, in some cases, employees are still allowed to have these devices for personal use, as long as they do not open work correspondence on the device.
It's worth noting that the company blocked access to Apple Pay following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February. The US has since suspended all sales of its products in Russia, claiming it was a response to the invasion.
Expected measure
The ban comes after Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced in early June that it had uncovered a "US intelligence operation" involving Apple devices. The organization said thousands of iPhones, including those used by diplomatic missions in NATO countries, had been infected with the tracking software.
Russia, without providing evidence, has alleged that Apple worked closely with US signals intelligence to provide “various controls” to its agents. Tech giant Apple has denied the allegations, saying it “has never and will never create” shortcuts in its products in collaboration with any government.
The move demonstrates the Russian government’s intention to reduce its reliance on foreign technology. As The Times reported, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree last year requiring agencies involved in “critical information infrastructure” to switch to domestically developed software by 2025.
War on Western Technology
Russia has long been wary of foreign technology, especially American technology. In March 2022, a Russian court banned social media Facebook and Instagram for “extremism” that Westerners saw as a means of controlling information.
Given this, the ban on iPhones during Putin’s re-election campaign is just one more step in the current tense geopolitical environment, heightened by Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the ensuing conflict in Ukraine. As the presidential election approaches, the Kremlin is likely to take additional security measures to prevent potential outside interference.
