Security News > 2023 > March > Putin to staffers: Throw out your iPhones, or 'give it to the kids'

The Russian report, citing several sources who attended an event in Moscow earlier this month, noted that the country's presidential administration employees have until April 1 to replace their iPhones with Android-based smartphones, or others with Chinese or Aurora operating systems.

Aurora is a Linux-based smartphone OS developed by Open Mobile Platform, which is owned by Russian IT firm Rostelecom.

The new smartphone mandate covers staffers who work in four departments: domestic policy, public projects, state council, and IT and communications infrastructure.

With a straight face, Putin agrees to do something about ransomware coming out of Russia, apparently Google says NYET! to Putin, pulls techies out of Russia - report Kremlin names the internet giants it will kidnap the Russian staff of if they don't play ball in future US nuke agency hacked by suspected Russian SolarWinds spies, Microsoft also installed backdoor.

The Kremlin does use smartphones for espionage purposes.

Putin reportedly refuses to use a smartphone, which, if you are a politician wanting to avoid cyber snoops entirely, isn't the worst idea in the world.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/03/21/kremlin_iphone_ban/