'Ban Apple!' MP warns lawmakers iPhones can be bugged

A leftist Russian lawmaker has prepared a bill recommending all MPs to stop using iPhones and iPads to protect themselves from eavesdropping by foreign special services.

Dmitry Gorovtsov, of the center-left Fair Russia party, told the Interfax news agency that his suggestion applied primarily to politicians who had access to classified information. He listed members of the committees for security and defense in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, as an example of people who regularly had to work with state secrets.

“In principle, the MPs know that using the most primitive mobile phones, those that cost no more than $20, is a guarantee not only against the theft of your own financial data or spying on your e-mail, but also against bugging,” Gorovtsov said.

Russian officials and politicians regularly raise the topic of restrictions on certain hardware and software products, citing concerns over national security and the personal wellbeing of citizens.

Last week, mass circulation daily Izvestia quoted an unnamed clerk working for the Defense Ministry conscription hotline as saying that the Russian military has banned the use of iPhones by its servicemen to prevent information leaks. However, the Defense Ministry almost immediately denied Izvestia’s report. The ministry said in a statement that officers and other soldiers were allowed to use any device of their choice most of their service time, with the only exception being during important missions, when all civilian communication devices are banned.