In 2014, there were many rumors that the American brand Apple would cease to cooperate with Russia. Many media outlets expressed their versions, relying on the unstable economic and political situation in the country. However, the ban on the iPhone in Russia has not yet occurred.
Where the "legs" grow from
In 2014, the government of the country put forward a bill according to which all personal data of Russians should be stored exclusively on the territory of the Russian Federation. And, as you know, the Apple brand is American. Accordingly, all user data of the iOs system is stored in the USA. The Russian government strongly disagrees with this, since it carries with it a certain threat to the security of this very data. For example, some deputies believe that the American spy network can use accounts for their own purposes. Therefore, on the one hand, the ban on the iPhone in Russia makes sense.
How can this threaten people
For users, of course, this is a significant minus. Firstly, because if the ban on the iPhone in Russia is nevertheless introduced, you will have to change the gadget. And there are no equal in convenience and performance yet. Secondly, the government offers a system of fines for users. Those who do not change the gadget to a suitable one according to the data storage system will pay a considerable amount for breaking the law. It is proposed to fine them up to 50-100 thousand rubles.
What is the security risk?
Prior to the imposition of sanctions against the Russian Federation, unfortunately, the government did not think much about how safe it is to store user data outside the country. However, most officials themselves actively use iPhone phones. And it is unlikely that they will simply be abandoned. However, a security risk still exists. So, for example, the government of the United States of America can use the data for its own purposes. How exactly? For example, to compile some kind of personal dossier. Of course, for a simple citizen, for example, Ivanov, Ivan Ivanovich, there is especially nothing to hide, which cannot be said about famous and famous people. Yes, they have something to worry about. So, is it worth to ban the iPhone in Russia?
Endless surveillance
It just so happened that Apple is forcing users to sign a licensed user agreement, according to which it can track their devices, wherever they are. At the same time, they are not responsible for their work. Claims can only be made if a gadget is found defective in hardware, and not in software. It turns out that the company expressly declares that it monitors and retains personal data, cannot disseminate it without good reason, it can also be used for illegal purposes, however, it is not going to be responsible for users of the applications and the system. Therefore, all owners of the iPad, iPhone, iPod are under a certain cap. They can be monitored, their data can be used if the appropriate law is selected in the country where this information is stored.
Different legislation
Since the United States and the Russian Federation are still completely different states, their internal structure is also different. And including legislation. It turns out that if in the USA some kind of law is adopted that allows users to disclose data, then Apple will be obliged to obey it. And no tricks of the Russian Federation will help. That is why the government is so keen to control the distribution and use of the iPad, iPhone, iPod in the country at the legislative level.
What is offered
The Government of the Russian Federation is trying to take into account the wishes of citizens, so a complete ban on the iPhone in Russia will not happen. All actions of the bill are aimed at "patting" a little company. So, for Apple it was proposed a simple, but at the same time complex solution to this situation. Namely: to transfer servers from the United States of America to Russia, so that data is stored on the territory of our country.
What is the difficulty
The main problem was that the company simply did not have enough time to fulfill the proposed conditions. The law on the storage of user data entered into force on January 1, 2015. For six months, Apple simply did not have the opportunity to move its servers to Russia. However, iPhone sales in Russia did not stop this year. And they didn’t even decrease too much, not to mention exploitation. And iPhone 6 in Russia is now perhaps the most coveted gadget. Someone buys it on credit, someone just buys it, someone orders from abroad and has successfully used it at the moment.
What is happening now
Today, iPhone phones operate in the Russian Federation without any restrictions for users. The iCloud cloud service is still used, applications are installed, the AppStore is functioning. It is noteworthy that the Russian Prime Minister is an active iPhone user in Russia, without abandoning him in favor of another gadget.
What will happen next?
Actually, according to experts, Apple will not leave our market. Firstly, although Russia is not a priority country for sales, it still represents value for sales. The new iPhone can now be purchased exactly the same as before, without any restrictions. Secondly, the company will not block its gadgets located in Russia. This is disadvantageous to both parties. In addition, the number of lawsuits against the brand may increase sharply if blocking occurs. Thirdly, the law on the preservation of personal data was adopted only in the second reading, it will be finalized. Otherwise, Russian users may lose not only "apple" devices, but also many others.
Is it worth the worry?
At the moment, there is no reason for unrest. The Russian AppStore is functioning successfully, although it has raised a few price tags for the offered goods, since the ruble exchange rate is not very stable. iPhone 6 in Russia, like other models, is still sold without any special reservations. You can buy an “apple” one, whether it's an iPhone, an iPad, an iPod, on the Internet or offline, just like before. All services continue to work, and personal data so far goes to the company's headquarters in California.
User opinions
It is noteworthy that iPhone sales in Russia decreased significantly, but for reasons unrelated to the law. Firstly, some homophobic users deliberately abandoned Apple gadgets after Tim Cook’s statement about his gay orientation. Secondly, the price of products has increased significantly. And this is not connected with sanctions, but exclusively with the ruble-dollar exchange rate. For example, in the United States of America, the price of devices remained the same, but when converted to Russian currency, it increased. Therefore, many simply could not afford the purchase of a new fashionable gadget. Thirdly, competitors are not asleep. The Russian market is filled with devices from other manufacturers, whose pricing differs from Apple. So, for example, new firms put an extremely low price on their gadgets, which are very attractive to customers in terms of performance and features. If the “apple” company went to meet Russian users by making a stable and flexible price tag, then sales would definitely go up, and competitors would have to make even more efforts in the production of new devices.