Udmurt Officials Snub Apple Products Over Security Fears

June 2, 2014

Udmurt officials have been asked to surrender their Apple products in favor of "simpler" electronics.

State officials of the Russian republic of Udmurtia have been asked to surrender their Apple products in favor of "simpler" electronics.

The chief of staff and head of government of the republic, Andrey Galtsin, warned on Monday that iPads and iPhones could make Udmurt officials more vulnerable to have their personal information or confidential exchanges leaked.

"It would only take one month to profile any person who uses these [Apple] technologies," Galtsin told government officials on Monday, Interfax reported.

Galtsin added that Apple's operating system "which is supported not by our country [Russia], but by the United States" is a "very easy way through which information can be leaked."

In late March, the Russian cabinet forbade its members to use iPads, insisting that they use Samsung tablets instead. Nikolai Nikiforov, the head of the Communications Ministry, explained that the Samsung products were better equipped to protect confidential information.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue