As the upcoming Russian presidential election draws closer, the government is taking extra precautions to protect its officials and domestic politics by taking measures against the use of iPhones. Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the presidential administration, has stated that he wants all officials involved with domestic politics to cease using iPhones by April 1st due to concerns of Western intelligence agencies.
The Kremlin may be deciding to provide different devices with alternate operating systems to replace the iPhones, according to Kommersant newspaper. The order to stop using iPhones has been solely directed to those in the government who work with domestic political information and matters such as elections.
The issues between Apple and the Russian government have been long-standing beginning from when Apple initially stopped sales in Russia when the country invaded Ukraine in 2014.
Though this is not a new policy mandate, as a precaution against potential security risks and data leaks, the Russian government is doing their best to keep a tight lip regarding their domestic political information. Hopefully, newer operating systems and devices will help in maintaining the security of their information.
