Officials and employees of the Russian presidential administration have been given until the end of March to replace iPhone smartphones with devices from other manufacturers, writes Politico.
Russian media Kommersant reported on the 20th of March that government employees will have to use devices from other manufacturers that are less exposed to espionage risks. During a seminar organized by the Kremlin, the deputy head of the presidential administration Sergei Kiriyenko informed the employees that for security reasons they should get rid of American smartphones by the 1st of April. Other officials are also expected to receive such recommendations, with the government even considering providing new phones to its employees.
One of the attendees of the seminar said that the iPhone becomes past and can either be thrown away or given to children.
The new rules apply to four departments in the presidential administration, all of which are related to the delivery of government work. Employees of these departments will be directly involved in the pre-election campaign before the 2024 Russian presidential elections.
The Russian government made the decision at a time when several European countries have banned the use of the Chinese TikTok app on smartphones that are used for work duties. The US is considering a complete ban on the app in the country.
Read also: Legislative changes needed to completely ban TikTok in Estonia