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In preparation for the 2024 Russian presidential elections, the Kremlin mandated officials to stop using iPhones and switch to other devices. The Russian government believes iPhones are more susceptible to hacking by Western intelligence agencies.
According to the report released by the business daily Kommersant, “members of the Russian presidential administration whose jobs focus on domestic policy have been instructed to discard their iPhones by the end of March.” The directive came from Sergey Kirienko, the deputy chief of staff.
Russian officials using iPhones for work would either have to “throw away or give to their kids” and use a different mobile device by 1 April. Kirienko, who also supervises several departments in the presidential office, precisely domestic policy, added that officials who liaise with regional governments are included in those who would have to adhere to this new instruction.
Although not confirmed, many news reports believe Russian officials are paranoid, thinking iPhones are a security risk as they are “more susceptible to hacking and espionage by Western experts compared to other smartphones.”
As reported by The Register, government officials involved in the state council, public projects, and communications departments were added to the list of those who would have to abandon Apple products.
Affected officials are highly recommended to utilise devices running on Android or any Chinese operating system (OS) and Russia’s Aurora. The report also stated that some government employees who comply might receive free devices from the government.
The mandate was ironic, given that Apple has stopped selling iPhones in Russia due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. According to India Times tech reporter Bharat Sharma, it is still uncertain how the Russian government came to this conclusion, as iPhones are generally considered much safer than Android devices.
However, cybersecurity expert Natalya Kaspersky counters this conclusion by stating that the more Russian components a device has, the less risk that hostile countries can weaponise the device.
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