Russian officials participating in the 2024 presidential election were informed that they must not use iPhones due to the risk of interference from western intelligence services.
The country’s political and business newspaper, Kommersant reported that employees have until April 1 to look for alternative devices.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that “Smartphones must not be used for official business”noting that the country’s lack of confidence is not specifically focused on Apple, adding: “Any smartphone has a pretty transparent mechanism.”
A source familiar with the decision said the Kremlin may even offer affected iPhone users to purchase alternative devices to make it easier for them to move away from American technology.
Subsequently, the Kremlin advised iPhone users to switch to Android devices, though even these may one day be banned.
The country has already tried to ban the official use of other Western technologies, such as the Zoom video conferencing platform, in favor of its own alternatives, and while the sanctions may have initially rattled the country, the Kremlin is clearly adapting and overcoming many of the recent challenges. that you faced.
