Shoaib Ansari 
russia, russia apple, iphone ban, iphone ban in russia, russia us
Russia has banned employees from using Apple iPhones and iPads for work purposes, citing security issues. Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, led by Maksut Igorevich Shadayev, the Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, imposed a ban on iPhones and iPads use.
According to a report from the Interfax news agency, Russia banned Apple products only for work purposes and not for personal use. Maksut Igorevich Shadayev reportedly said, “A restriction has been introduced against the use of Apple’s mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, for accessing work-related applications and exchanging work-related emails.”
Earlier, Russia said that the United States was using Apple phones to unlock Moscow’s war strategy against Ukraine. Russian government officials were also asked to quit using iPhones.
In June, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that several thousand Apple phones had been hacked by the US National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on Russians.
The Russian spy agency also said that telephones belonging to foreign diplomats of Israel, Syria and People’s Republic of China, had also been targeted. It said in a statement, “The FSB has uncovered an intelligence action of the American special services using Apple mobile devices.”
Russia’s foreign ministry also said, “The hidden data collection was carried out through software vulnerabilities in U.S.-made mobile phones.”
However, Apple denied the allegations. The US, on the other hand, declined to comment on the claims.
Apple, an American multinational technology company, was recently fined by a court in Russia for not deleting “inaccurate” content about Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. The court fined Apple RUB 400,000.
When the Russia-Ukraine war started in February 2022, Apple paused all product sales in Russia. The tech company also limited its Apple Pay service in Russia.
Read more: Russia Drone attack on Ukraine
Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said in February that Apple paid RUB 906 million in another Russian antitrust case.
