The Russian security service, the FSB, has extended its earlier ban on the use of iPhones. The latest ban applies to thousands more government workers, and now includes iPads and Macs.
The FSB has repeated its earlier claims that Apple has provided the NSA with a backdoor into its devices, allowing US security services to spy on Russian officials …
Earlier iPhone ban
Back in March, the Kremlin imposed a partial ban on the use of iPhones by government officials.
In preparations for Russia’s upcoming presidential election, the Kremlin has told officials to stop using iPhones […] The policy applies to any officials in the country who are “involved in preparations for Russia’s 2024 presidential election.”
At a meeting for “officials involved in domestic politics,” Russia’s head of the presidential administration Sergei Kiriyenko gave officials until April 1 to ditch their iPhones.
At the time, an official said that those affected by the ban should throw away their iPhone, or give it to their children.
Russian security service accused Apple
Things escalated last month, when Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that Apple had created a backdoor into iPhones for America’s National Security Agency (NSA).
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday it had uncovered a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) plot using previously unknown malware to access specially made so-called backdoor vulnerabilities in Apple phones.
The FSB […] said that several thousand Apple phones had been infected, including those of domestic Russian subscribers.
Ban now extended to more officials, more products
Back in March, only iPhones were banned, and only presidential election officials were affected. But the Financial Times reports that the ban has now been extended to thousands more government workers, and to all Apple products.
Russian authorities have banned thousands of officials and state employees from using iPhones and other Apple products as a crackdown against the American tech company intensifies over espionage concerns […]
The ban on iPhones, iPad tablets and other Apple devices at leading ministries and institutions reflects growing concern in the Kremlin and the Federal Security Service spy agency over a surge in espionage activity by US intelligence agencies against Russian state institutions.
The FT says that the popularity of Apple devices is creating skepticism over how many officials will actually comply with the ban. The earlier iPhone ban was reportedly widely ignored.
Top comment by Leroy
It makes more sense that the FSB is attempting to ban Apple products because they have less success hacking them to spy on their own rather than some tin-foil hat theory that Apple is conspiring with US Intelligence.
Even the FSB seems to recognize that it has an uphill battle here, only banning Apple devices for work purposes, while allowing officials to continue using personal devices.
9to5Mac’s Take
As we said previously, it’s entirely credible that the NSA is using spyware like Pegasus or Graphite to hack iPhones used by Russian officials. Indeed, it would be surprising if this were not the case.
But the idea that Apple created a backdoor into iPhones for the NSA is simply absurd: This is the company which took on the FBI over the very same issue.
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