In a recent move, Russian authorities have taken a significant step towards reducing their dependence on foreign-made technology by banning the use of Apple devices for official state purposes. As reported by the Financial Times, the country’s trade ministry implemented the prohibition on iPhones and all other Apple products for “work purposes” starting from Monday. This decision applies to government employees across various agencies, including Russia’s telecommunications and mass media ministry, with some agencies already enforcing the mandate while others plan to follow suit shortly. However, officials are still allowed to use Apple devices for personal use, as long as they avoid accessing work-related communication on them.
Apple has already stopped Apple Pay for Russian users
The ban comes in the wake of serious allegations made by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in early June. The FSB claimed to have discovered a large-scale “spying operation by US intelligence agencies” involving Apple devices. According to the FSB, numerous iPhones, including those used by Russian diplomatic missions in NATO countries, were allegedly infected with monitoring software. Furthermore, the FSB accused Apple of collaborating closely with US signal intelligence to provide agents with an extensive range of control tools. Apple swiftly denied these allegations, emphasizing its commitment to user privacy and asserting that it has never cooperated with any government to create backdoors in its products.
This latest move by the Russian government also aligns with a broader effort to decrease reliance on foreign technology. In line with this objective, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree last year, mandating institutions involved in “critical information infrastructure” to transition to domestically developed software by 2025.
This ban follows a series of actions that have strained Apple’s relationship with Russia. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the past year, Apple had already cut off access to Apple Pay and halted product sales in the country as a symbolic gesture of solidarity with those affected by the conflict.
As of now, Apple has not issued an official response to the ban. The decision marks a significant development in the ongoing tech tensions between Russia and the United States, potentially further splitting Russian government employees from the global technology ecosystem. The implications of this ban on bilateral tech relations remain to be seen as a public statement is awaited.
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