A few weeks ago, the Russian government accused Apple of collaborating or, at least, collusion with the United States National Security Agency on a series of measures which compromised the security of some users’ iPhones. Users working in foreign embassies in Moscow affected by previously unknown suspected malware (POV).
Apple, for its part, was candid: “We have never worked with any government to install a backdoor in an Apple product and we never will.” However, of the Kremlin, they are not satisfied and do not want to see any trace of iPhone after a deadline, 2024.
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Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) also issued its own statement announcing that it had uncovered “a reconnaissance action by US intelligence services”. after a series of anomalies detected. They haven’t revealed what anomalies they are, though, though we understand they refer to encryption and protection protocols or permissions the iPhone grants to different apps, or even specifically designed tools. to track user activity.
The President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov reported that about 30% of Russian presidential administration employees still use iPhones and these could be compromised. It appears that Russian law enforcement authorities discovered this breach “for general surveillance of US citizens and others”, not necessarily for specific surveillance of Russian citizens in political roles. The FSB, for its part, believes that Apple offers “a wide range of opportunities to probe anyone of interest to the White House, including its partners in anti-Russian activitiesas well as its own citizens.
Unsurprisingly, last March it banned employees from using any type of smartphone running iOS or Android for official purposes, a measure announced by Vladimir Putin himself and with a compliance date from 2024. This does not seem like an easy measure to adhere to. Even today, some users are reluctant to do without their phone. Unsurprisingly, during SPIEF ’23, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum held last June, many users of the 17,000 guests were seen with their iPhones.
The reality is that Russia has spent years trying to reduce its dependence on technology made outside of the country and, more specifically, by companies that have a relationship with the United States. economic nationalism. Apple has already left the Russian market in response to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, something that didn’t go well but sparked the sale of domestically made phones.
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