Officers who’re concerned in preparations for Russia’s 2024 presidential election have been instructed by the Kremlin to keep away from utilizing Apple iPhones as a result of worries that the units could possibly be exploited by Western intelligence companies, in line with the Kommersant newspaper.
At a Kremlin-organized seminar for officers concerned in home politics, Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy head of the presidential administration, informed officers to alter their telephones by April 1, Kommersant mentioned, citing unidentified sources.
“It is throughout for the iPhone: both throw it away or give it to the youngsters,” Kommersant quoted one of many contributors of the assembly as saying. “Everybody must do it in March.”
When requested in regards to the concern on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned he couldn’t affirm the report.
“Smartphones shouldn’t be used for official enterprise,” Peskov informed reporters. “Any smartphone has a reasonably clear mechanism, it doesn’t matter what working system it has – Android or iOS. Naturally, they aren’t used for official functions.”
The Kremlin might present different units with totally different working techniques to exchange the iPhones, Kommersant mentioned, including that the order to stop utilizing iPhones had been directed at these concerned in home politics – for which Kiriyenko is accountable.
President Vladimir Putin has all the time mentioned he has no smartphone, although Peskov has mentioned Putin does use the Web now and again.
Shortly after Russia despatched its troops into Ukraine final 12 months, U.S. and British spies claimed a scoop by uncovering – and going public with – intelligence that Putin was planning to invade. It’s unclear how the spies obtained such intelligence.