In Russia, they allowed the shutdown of Apple and Google smartphones. How can this be done and what are the risks for users?

Google and Apple corporations have the technical capabilities to disable the smartphones of Russian users. The likelihood of such a development of events was assessed by the head of the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo, Sergei Kuzmenko.

According to the expert, a mechanism for blocking stolen devices can be used for this, and technically such a measure is quite possible. Kuzmenko noted that Apple’s technology has a much more advanced mechanism than Google’s, but in both cases users will face serious problems.

Roskoshestvo explained that Apple devices cannot be used and the data will be lost. At the same time, if Android smartphones are blocked, it will be possible to extract user data, and to unlock it, a flashing will be required.

Roskoshestvo doubted that Apple and Google would decide to take such a step

The expert said that the smartphones do not indicate for which country they were produced, and the license agreement does not stipulate such conditions for blocking. Among other things, it is worth keeping in mind that there are many foreigners in Russia, and it is very difficult to separate them from the locals who use foreign technology.

In turn, Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, in an interview with the YouTube channel “Telega Reality”, if the conflict moves to a new stage and the stakes turn out to be extremely high, Apple may indeed switch off devices in Russia, and Google will disable unflashed Android phones.

FSB accused Apple of spying on Russians

A massive rejection of Apple technology by government agencies was launched after the FSB reported in June 2023 that it was being used by US intelligence agencies to spy on Russians, including Russian diplomats. The FSB concluded that Apple works closely with US intelligence agencies – in particular, the National Security Agency.

After the publication of the data, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “US intelligence services have been using IT corporations for decades to collect data from Internet users on a large scale without their knowledge.” Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov called the FSB information worthy of attention, and also admitted that 20-30 percent of the presidential administration employees use iPhones, but exclusively for personal purposes.

Later, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Transport, as well as some state-owned companies reported on the ban on the use of iPhones in the workplace.