Russian Officials Dump iPads for Samsung Tablets Over Security Fears

[RaduTyrsina]

Back in 2010, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and was given an iPhone by then-CEO Steve Jobs, but the relationship between Apple and Russia has deteriorated since then. According to a new report by Business Insider, Russian government officials have stopped using iPads and have opted for Samsung tablets instead. Business Insider has more details:

Russian government officials have swapped their iPads for Samsung tablets to ensure tighter security, the telecoms minister told news agencies on Wednesday. Journalists spotted that ministers at a cabinet meeting were no longer using Apple tablets, and minister Nikolai Nikiforov confirmed the changeover “took place not so long ago.â€

The report says that Russian officials have denied the change to be an effort to stop supporting American companies following sanctions related to the Ukrainian crisis. Apple recently denied the allegation that the US government has backdoor access to iOS devices, so the single reason for the swap is the fact that the new Samsung tablets are "specially protected devices that can be used to work with confidential information." Minister Nikolai Nikiforov said the following:

Some of the information at government meetings is confidential in nature and these devices fully meet these demands and have gone through the strictest system of certification. We are not proposing any sanctions. American special services... will significantly increase the volume of information they intercept (which) of course causes serious concern to many governmental clients. This obviously orientates Russian clients, primarily state ones, to be very choosy about their partners in IT.

Source: Business Insider

 

[Ser Aphim]

They just did the opposite. Android can be easily hacked. How could they pick it over iOS?

 

[fb si]

They just did the opposite. Android can be easily hacked. How could they pick it over iOS?

This is nothing more than a petty move in retaliation for our stance on Ukraine.

 

[Ser Aphim]

This is nothing more than a petty move in retaliation for our stance on Ukraine.

I agree.