The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones worldwide.
In Russia it is no different.
But Kremlin employees now have to look for alternatives to the popular devices.
Moscow – Kremlin workers face tough times.
As of April 1, employees of the Russian presidential administration will no longer be allowed to use Apple iPhones.
The newspaper Kommersant reported on Monday, citing insiders.
"It's over for the iPhone: either you throw it away or you give it to the children," the newspaper quoted a participant in an internal meeting of the presidential administration as saying.
As a replacement, there will be smartphones with a different operating system, the newspaper writes.
As a reason, senior Kremlin officials referred to security concerns.
The iPhone is vulnerable to Western secret services, it said.
Apple ban in the Kremlin: Clear announcement from above
According to the report, at an internal seminar, the first deputy head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, asked officials to exchange their phones by the end of Monday.
One of the most famous iPhone users in Russia is Sergey Lavrov.
Last November, the Russian Foreign Minister denied reports that caused a worldwide sensation with a photo
In the past there had been repeated reports about the security standards of smartphones.
The iPhone from Apple always performed comparatively well.
It was only last autumn that the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) certified that the Apple iPhone and iPad have a high level of security.
The operating system is also suitable for classified items in the “For official use only” (NfD) category, it said.
NfD is the first security level for confidential information from authorities.
Leading federal politicians such as Chancellor Olaf Scholz have special crypto smartphones that are said to be particularly tap-proof.
(utz)
