Russia stuns with a decision to ban Apple devices!
Apple, the world's largest technology company with millions of users around the globe, was greeted today with a ban from Russia.
In a significant recent development, Russian authorities have heightened their endeavor to lessen reliance on foreign-made technology. The country's trade ministry has prohibited the usage of Apple devices for official state functions, according to the Financial Times. This ban, effective from Monday, encompasses government employees across diverse sectors, including Russia's telecommunications and mass media ministry. Some agencies have already implemented this directive, while others are gearing up to enforce it soon. However, it's noteworthy that officials are permitted to use Apple devices for personal matters, provided they abstain from accessing work-related communications through them.
This new prohibition follows serious charges levied by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in early June. The FSB claimed that it had unearthed a vast spying operation by US intelligence agencies using Apple devices. The service alleged that numerous iPhones, including those in use by Russian diplomatic missions in NATO countries, had been infected with monitoring software. In addition, the FSB asserted that Apple had actively collaborated with US signal intelligence, offering agents a wide variety of control tools. In response, Apple rapidly dismissed these allegations, asserting its dedication to user privacy and denying any collaboration with governments to establish backdoors in its products.
Russia stuns with a decision to ban Apple devices!
This move by the Russian government also supports a wider agenda to reduce dependence on foreign technology. In accordance with this goal, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree last year, compelling institutions involved in "critical information infrastructure" to switch to domestically developed software by 2025.
Apple's relationship with Russia has become progressively strained due to a sequence of actions. Apple had previously suspended access to Apple Pay and halted product sales in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine, showing solidarity with those impacted by the conflict.
As it stands, Apple has yet to issue an official response to the ban. This decision underscores a substantial development in the ongoing tech tensions between Russia and the United States, possibly distancing Russian government employees further from the global technology ecosystem. The effects of this ban on bilateral tech relations are yet to be ascertained, as a public statement is pending.
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