The political situation in eastern Ukraine caused the introduction of new sanctions for Russia by the United States, which most directly affected relations between the countries. This time, the conflict affected Apple products, which are very popular among users around the world. What will change with the cessation of supply of Apple products and are there reasons for panic? You will find answers to all questions in this article.
Company History and Apple Tech Support in Russia
Apple’s Russian office officially opened in 2007, when domestic sales exceeded $ 70 million. It was the popularity of the company's gadgets that led to the opening of numerous Apple service centers and technical support offices.
Since 2010, Marvel became the official importer of the Apple representative office in Russia. Thus, for 2012 in the Russian Federation there was not a single Apple retail store, as gadgets began to be sold through various retail chains with a price increase of at least 5-10%. In the same year, Apple Rus was registered, which to this day is the official representative in the country. Apple Support in Russia is fully responsible for the gadgets sold and provides all the services for their repair and technical support for its customers.
User data requested by company
Every user who buys Apple products, whether it’s iPhone or MacBook, is required to go through the identification procedure and officially register in the system, having received their ID code. After that, paid applications and many other system functions become available.
The most popular was Apple's cloud-based data storage called iCloud, where anyone can upload any files and be safe for their safety. However, recent political events took the Russian users of the company by surprise, who now have to rush to delete their data from the cloud service, fearing for the termination of service of iCloud and Apple-Russia. The phone, in case of disconnection of the service, can only be used as a mobile communication device.
The next sanctions from America
The past year was remembered by the Russians as not the most peaceful time in the country. The conflict with Ukraine, the unstable ruble exchange rate and the imposition of numerous sanctions on the part of America, because of which both sides suffered enormous damage, have severely undermined the economy. In addition, sanctions have become the cause of already strained relations between countries.
At the end of 2014, a wave of publications swept the ban on the import of products into the country, which was reported by Apple support in Russia. Experts confirmed that the fears of citizens are not unfounded. And from January 1, 2015, it was announced about the suspension of the use of Apple gadgets in the Russian Federation. It should be noted that the promised ban did not take place at the agreed time.
However, certain services from another American company , Google, which blocked the use of PlayMarket and GoogleAdsense, were no longer available to citizens of some regions of Russia. The latter extremely alarmed webmasters, the main source of which was the earnings on the viewed ads.
On what grounds will Apple be banned in Russia in 2015?
The restriction is regulated by the Law on Personal Data, which the system actively uses. Currently, court hearings are held with a request to postpone the entry into force of the law on January 1, 2016. A sudden decision to pass a law banning Apple has already caused great damage to Russian companies, because back in June 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that forces all foreign companies to use the personal data of their customers only in their native state. In case of non-compliance with this law, companies will have to stop their work on the territory of the Russian Federation. Such radical restrictions are completely determined by our state, because the use of personal data of a person without his knowledge is already a matter of jurisdiction. Even though a person provides all the information about himself voluntarily.
What is really going on?
Ban Apple in Russia is nothing more than another political provocation. Prohibiting Apple products is not beneficial to any of the parties. Moreover, the love of the "apple" gadget is manifested by many deputies and politicians, the most famous of which is Dmitry Medvedev. Immediate blocking of the import of products and the provision of services will result in losses of more than $ 2 billion. Will Apple Risk It? Many experts argue that Apple’s ban in Russia may occur gradually, but in no case on one day, as stated.
Apple ban in Russia - what will change?
In fact, nothing will change. The attention of users will simply switch to more affordable gadget options, which today the Chinese manufacturer is capturing the Russian market. In addition, at the moment there are operating systems that allow you to download applications and use various services for free. The question is, why should Apple overpay for what can be downloaded freely?
Even the restriction on downloading applications for users of the Android operating system is not a disaster. Numerous online resources allow you to install programs regardless of any sanctions or political troubles. It is possible that the same thing will happen with the iOS operating system, which is installed on gadgets Apple products.
There is no reason to panic!
Rumors that Apple will be banned in Russia have flooded the Internet and the pages of print media. This news was the most talked about in the last months of 2014. But there is no reason to panic. Of course, fans of the brand will be disappointed in the impossibility of buying a new iPhone or downloading a trendy composition in iTunes. But this can be experienced, as shown by many years of practice. American manufacturers did not take into account that the mentality of Russians is significantly different from the West. We are not used to paying for what you can get for free. That is why the attitude towards sanctions by the people is extremely skeptical.
Apple product analogs
Today, the Chinese gadget market offers all kinds of options for personal equipment, which in quality and functionality is practically no different from its Western counterparts. A simple layman is not even able to distinguish a real iPhone from a Chinese jewelry counterfeit on free Android.
Chinese brands Lenovo and HTC, which offer their customers smartphones, tablets and laptops, are becoming very popular in Russia. The products of these companies optimally combine affordable prices and high build quality. So why pay more?
Any personal gadget should, first of all, be affordable and reliable for its owner. But everyone knows the scandal surrounding Apple in September 2014, when hackers hacked the iCloud cloud service from which they stole thousands of personal photos of celebrities and tried to sell them for huge money at online auctions. Of course, there is no question of any security in this case. It cannot be guaranteed that Apple tech support in Russia will compensate moral damages to its customers in a similar situation.
Conclusion
Thus, Russians should not worry if the law “On Personal Data” nevertheless enters into force. It must be remembered that any problem can be solved, even if Apple bans Russia. And manufacturers from friendly China will be happy to help.