Anyone who buys a new iPhone in Russia is requested to download apps approved by the Kremlin. This is against Apple policy. Why then did the iPhone maker agree to this? And what kind of signal does this send to other autocratic governments?
Why Apple is adapting the iPhone for Russia
Since April 1, Russian iPhone buyers have to go through an extra step when configuring their new device. In addition to the usual formalities, such as connecting to a Wi-Fi network and setting the time zone, they will be asked to download additional apps. Russian government-approved iPhone apps, that is.
Can’t see anything above? Tap here to see what the Russian iPhone home screen looks like
Apple does not just do this. After all, there is a high-profile conflict behind this choice. To understand Apple’s rationale, we have to go back to 2019. In that year, the Russian government decided that all electronic data carriers – including computers, smart TVs and smartphones – must be equipped with Russian apps. These applications are approved by the Kremlin and of Russian origin.
Apple has strongly opposed this policy, which soon became popularly known as the “anti-Apple law”. The Cupertino company managed to find a middle ground. The Russian apps would not be automatically installed on iPhones. Instead, users are given a choice: do you want to download them or not?
Yet it is a significant deviation in Apple’s course. The question therefore is: why did Apple change its rules for the Russian government?
‘Russia is putting pressure on tech companies’
The answer to that question is multiple. In conversation with magazine Wired says Adrian Shahbaz, director of human rights organization Freedom House, that Apple’s decision should be seen primarily in the context of recent years.
“The Russian government has been putting pressure on tech companies for years,” said Shahbaz. “They (tech companies – ed.) Must store data on local servers, transfer encryption keys to security services and actively take action against controversial content.” In this way Russia wants to get a better grip on the digital world, which does not have to take national borders into account.
And now there is the “anti-Apple law” added. According to Mikhail Klimarev, director of a Russian internet rights organization, the Kremlin has two interests in this. First, the law allows Russia to promote its own apps. These applications are approved and controlled by the Kremlin.
In addition, it ensures that the government can leave its mark on the tech industry, says Klimarev. Sellers electronic data carriers without Russian apps on board will be fined, not the manufacturer. Apple is in a special position with this: the company not only makes electronic products, but also sells them.
More control
Klimarev thinks the ultimate goal of the anti-Apple law is to tighten up the reins. After all, small businesses and retailers have relatively little power and certainly less deep pockets than Apple for paying fines. They are expected to stop selling non-compliant products, including Apple stuff.
Subsequently, the small retailers collapse, leaving the large players. They do have the money to pay the fines and above all, Klimarev thinks, warmer ties with the Kremlin. The internet rights advocate thinks this will make it much easier for the Russian government to regulate the tech industry and get a finger in the pie.
Which brings us back to Apple. The company has never made an official statement on the matter, but it is not inconceivable that commercial interests may play a role. Russia is a gigantic market and thus potentially very lucrative. In addition, President Putin’s government maintains close ties with China, another market that Apple is eager to dominate, although this is anything but smooth.
Also read: Moral or Commercial: Which Apple Chooses in the Controversy Over China?
Apple takes the economic middle ground
Regardless, Apple has failed to send out a clear signal. The company could have gone in two directions. On the one hand, they could have chosen to install Russian apps on iPhones, iPads and Macs as standard and to comply fully with the requirements. Instead, Apple puts the ball to consumers. Users are free to choose whether to install the Russian apps.
At first glance, this is a pleasant choice. However, it can also go wrong. This is because Apple is sending out the signal that there is always room for negotiation. How will Tim Cook’s company react when another autocratic government comes up with similar demands?
Shahbaz foresees a risk in this and signals a trend. “This law can be seen in the light of a broader movement in countries such as Iran, Turkey and India. Authorities are hindered by the success of popular foreign apps and therefore mainly promote local alternatives to keep the reins in their own hands. ”
This attitude is understandable from the perspective of governments. After all, they want to keep control over citizens. However, this attitude goes against the concept of the free internet. As far as I am concerned, this is a bad thing, especially when you consider that the worldwide internet freedom of citizens has been declining for years, according to research by Freedom House.
The future
Apple has therefore neglected the opportunity to make a statement. Instead, the company has opened the door to autocratic governments. I think this is a strange decision, especially for a company that describes itself as idealistic.
Will Apple keep its back when the governments of Iran or Turkey come knocking with additional sales demands, or will they again choose the most economically favorable answer? Time will tell.
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