The State Duma has developed a bill containing a ban on the sale of iPhone
Photo: pxhere.com
A bill has been introduced to the State Duma that could significantly change the market for smartphones and tablets in the country. BFM reports this. According to the proposal, the sale of these devices will be allowed only with pre-installed access to the Russian application store RuStore. This step is aimed at strengthening the independence of Russian users from foreign technology corporations.
RuStore is a Russian application store developed for devices running the Android operating system. It was created as an alternative to foreign platforms such as Google Play and Apple App Store, and offers users a wide range of applications developed by both Russian and international developers. The main goal of RuStore is to provide access to applications that do not depend on the political situation and decisions of foreign companies.
The main catch with the new bill is that Apple, the maker of the iPhone, prohibits the installation of third-party app stores on its devices running the iOS operating system. This makes it impossible to pre-install RuStore on iPhone and iPad, which, in turn, may lead to a ban on their sale in Russia.
Anton Gorelkin, deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, is one of the authors of the bill. He emphasizes that the main goal of the document is to establish the independence of Russian users from the political position of foreign corporations. In his opinion, this will protect the interests of Russian citizens and provide them with access to the necessary applications without the threat of blocking or deletion.
If the bill is adopted, this could significantly affect the market for smartphones and tablets in Russia. Apple, one of the leading manufacturers of these devices, will find itself in a difficult situation. The company will either have to change its rules and allow the installation of RuStore, or leave the Russian market. In any case, this decision will cause serious changes in consumer behavior and may lead to an increase in the popularity of Android devices that already support RuStore.
The parliamentary note to the bill emphasizes that its adoption will not require additional costs from the federal budget. This means that all costs associated with the implementation of the new requirements will be borne by the manufacturers and sellers of smartphones and tablets themselves.