The Kremlin has told officials involved in the run-up to Russia’s 2024 presidential election to stop using iPhones over concerns that Apple devices are vulnerable to Western intelligence agencies, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
At a Kremlin-organized seminar for officials involved in domestic politics, Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy head of the presidential administration, told officials to change their phone numbers by April 1, Kommersant said, citing unnamed sources.
“It’s over for the iPhone: either you throw it away or you give it to the children,” Kommersant said, quoting one of the meeting participants. “Everyone will have to do it in March.”
Asked about the matter on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not confirm the report.
“Smartphones shouldn’t be used for official business,” Peskov told reporters. “Any smartphone has a fairly transparent mechanism, it doesn’t matter which operating system it has – Android or iOS. Naturally, they are not used for official purposes.”
Apple has not commented on the matter.
The Kremlin may supply other devices with different operating systems to replace iPhones, Kommersant said, adding that the order to cease using iPhones was aimed at those involved in domestic politics – for which Kiriyenko is responsible.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has always said he doesn’t own a smartphone, though Peskov said Putin uses the internet from time to time.
Shortly after Russia sent its troops into Ukraine last year, US and British spies released intelligence that Putin was planning to invade the neighboring country. It is unclear how the spies obtained this information.
Source: Terra
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