At the Economic Forum “Russia-Africa”, Vasily Osmakov, the first deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, announced that the ministry is advising Russian industrial enterprises to prohibit employees from using iPhones for work purposes. The relevant recommendations have already been sent to industrial enterprises in the country.
In July, the Ministry of Industry and Trade implemented a ban on the use of iPhones for work purposes by its employees and subordinate organizations. The ban was communicated through an order sent to department employees on July 4, which was signed by First Deputy Minister Vasily Osmakov.
The order explicitly prohibited the use of Apple’s mobile devices, including phones and smartphones, for official activities. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed the existence of such an order, explaining that it was enacted based on the regulator’s recommendations to safeguard information.
In June, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia announced that they had uncovered and thwarted intelligence operations by American intelligence services, who were allegedly using Apple mobile phones to monitor individuals in Russia and abroad. According to the agency, several thousand devices of the Apple brand were found to be infected.