Russian officials told to stop using iPhones, says report
1 min read 20 Mar 2023, 07:11 PM ISTFirst deputy head of the presidential administration -- Sergei Kiriyenko -- told officials at a Kremlin-organised seminar for officials involved in domestic politics that they change their phones by 1 April.
PremiumThe Russian officials involved in preparations for 2024 presidential election, have been asked by Kremlin to stop using Apple iPhones because of concerns that the devices are vulnerable to Western intelligence agencies, reported the Kommersant newspaper.
First deputy head of the presidential administration -- Sergei Kiriyenko -- told officials at a Kremlin-organised seminar for officials involved in domestic politics that they change their phones by 1 April, added the daily.
"It's all over for the iPhone: either throw it away or give it to the children," Kommersant quoted one of the participants of the meeting as saying, adding, "Everyone will have to do it in March."
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On being asked about the issue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not confirm the report.
"Smartphones should not be used for official business," Peskov told reporters. "Any smartphone has a fairly transparent mechanism, no matter what operating system it has – Android or iOS. Naturally, they are not used for official purposes."
The Kremlin may provide other devices with different operating systems to replace the iPhones, Kommersant said, adding that the order to cease using iPhones had been directed at those involved in domestic politics - for which Kiriyenko is responsible.
President Vladimir Putin has always said he has no smartphone, though Peskov has said Putin does use the Internet from time to time.
Shortly after Russia sent its troops into Ukraine last year, U.S. and British spies claimed a scoop by uncovering - and going public with - intelligence that Putin was planning to invade. It is unclear how the spies obtained such intelligence.
With PTI inputs.
