From April, Russian users when getting any new Apple iPhone, iPad or Mac device will meet with an extra step during the device setup with the option to visit a new page in the App Store in order to download the Russian software. It has been reported that Apple has allowed the Russian government for pre-installing apps on their Apple device during set up as part of the new consumer protection law that was issued by the Russian government to help their local developers compete better in 2019. Even though the list that will appear will contain applications that have been approved by the government but the actual list will of course include apps that have met with the company’s App Store review guidelines.
The law was initially even known as the ‘law against Apple’ because it at first required Apple to pull out the Russian market and not change the rules that are in the company’s control.
This decision by Apple is said to be the first time that the company has done something like this where it allows its users the ability to install outside software on its device as a setup because in previous versions of the device setup Apple already had the features based on the specificity of each country. The government of Russia is much under fire by its people for spying on their activities and on a constant look out. The country banned Telegram, a private messaging app which made the citizens more suspicious over their government’s spying. To install the Russian software on the devices is optional of course as the government has found out a way by which their citizens communicate privately on their devices. Apple for this has said that their strong encryption and store user passcodes protects the citizen’s privacy.
After the 2019 fiasco where Apple’s Maps app showed Crimea as part of Russia and not Ukraine, Apple and Russia are once again in the news together. For Apple to be bending its rules for Russia has been a major shock to everyone as the California based company has always known to stick to their rules and regulations, even Android hasn’t bent its rules for something like this. For example Google, that develops the Android mobile operating system does not control which apps come pre-installed on the devices.
Read next: Apple Maps Can Tell You The Real-Time Crowd Data Of A Business Using The Anonymous Location Share
The law was initially even known as the ‘law against Apple’ because it at first required Apple to pull out the Russian market and not change the rules that are in the company’s control.
This decision by Apple is said to be the first time that the company has done something like this where it allows its users the ability to install outside software on its device as a setup because in previous versions of the device setup Apple already had the features based on the specificity of each country. The government of Russia is much under fire by its people for spying on their activities and on a constant look out. The country banned Telegram, a private messaging app which made the citizens more suspicious over their government’s spying. To install the Russian software on the devices is optional of course as the government has found out a way by which their citizens communicate privately on their devices. Apple for this has said that their strong encryption and store user passcodes protects the citizen’s privacy.
After the 2019 fiasco where Apple’s Maps app showed Crimea as part of Russia and not Ukraine, Apple and Russia are once again in the news together. For Apple to be bending its rules for Russia has been a major shock to everyone as the California based company has always known to stick to their rules and regulations, even Android hasn’t bent its rules for something like this. For example Google, that develops the Android mobile operating system does not control which apps come pre-installed on the devices.
Read next: Apple Maps Can Tell You The Real-Time Crowd Data Of A Business Using The Anonymous Location Share
