FSB Orders Illegal iPads

By The Moscow Times

Aug. 3, 2010

The Federal Security Service has opened an online tender to supply it with two Wacom graphics tablets and two iPad 3G tablet computers — despite the fact that it has not legalized sales of iPads in Russia, Vedomosti reported Monday.

The FSB will pay 200,000 rubles ($6,622) to receive the four gadgets by Aug. 28, the report said, adding that the price does not exceed the cost of obtaining the gadgets on the Russian black market.

Electronic gadgets with encryption functions must be certified by the FSB to enter the Russian market, but the iPad has not obtained such a registration so far, Vedomosti said.

The tablets may have been ordered for use by a high-ranking FSB official, the report said.

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