Russia banned the iPhone to presidential employees and stated that phones using different operating systems should be preferred.
According to the reports in the Russian press, people serving in the presidency were asked to replace their iPhone brand phones with other brands with different operating systems.
The decision, which will cover the employees of the four departments headed by the state, will begin to be implemented at the beginning of next month.
The ban will apply to political officials in regional administrations and officials in Moscow.
Kremlin to Distribute New Telephones
Russian newspaper Kommersant, who wrote that all employees were instructed not to use iPhone smartphones at a seminar attended by Kremlin internal affairs department employees in the Moscow Region at the beginning of March, also wrote that the Kremlin will buy and distribute new smartphones. Employees’ abandonment of American technology.
Decision Taken for 2024 Elections
The ban decision of the head of state to be applied to his employees; local policies, public projects, implementation of Council of State decisions and development of information and communication technologies.
It is said that these departments consist of employees who are expected to take an active role in the 2024 elections in Russia.
The Kremlin administration believes that iPhone phones carry a higher risk of spying than other brands.
One of the authorized persons who attended the meeting where the decision was taken stated that employees were advised to turn to phones with Android or Aurora operating systems.
Declining Interest in iPhones in Russia
Ending product supply to Russia in 2022, Apple caused a decrease in interest in iPhones.
It has been noted that the iPhone demand of Russians, who can access iPhones thanks to parallel imports, has decreased by almost half compared to 2021.
