Google and Apple corporations can technically turn off all their smartphones in Russia - then the gadgets will turn into "bricks", but this is not profitable for companies, including due to huge reputational damage and possible multimillion-dollar lawsuits, Sergey Kuzmenko, head of the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo, told RIA Novosti.
Earlier this week, State Duma deputy Anton Gorelkin said in an interview with the Reality TV channel that, under some scenario, the American company Apple could turn off all iPhones in Russia, and Google could turn off unsolicited Android phones. Source: Apple Vision Pro Headset may Receive Russian Language in March
"Technically, disabling all Apple and Android smartphones that use Google services is possible. This will happen by the same mechanism as the stolen devices are blocked. Apple's technology has this mechanism much more advanced than Google's competitors, but users will face serious problems there and there," Kuzmenko said.
According to him, in the case of Apple gadgets, users will receive a device that will be completely blocked with the loss of all personal data stored on the device. Android owners were a little more lucky, but only in the sense that they will be able to extract user data, but it will be almost impossible to "resurrect" the device itself without serious financial investments and flashing. Xiaomi fixes a glitch that turns a smartphone into a "brick"
However, the organization "doubts that foreign corporations will take this step." "Firstly, when purchasing modern smartphones for widespread use, they do not specify for which country specifically it was produced, and in the license agreement with which the user a priori agrees when buying the device, that Apple and Google do not have such conditions for blocking. Secondly, if corporations do take such a step, it will result in huge reputational damage and multimillion-dollar lawsuits against corporations," Kuzmenko explained.
The head of the Center for Digital Expertise stressed that there are also many foreigners in Russia - someone comes on working visits, someone visits relatives, and separating them from "locals" who use foreign technology is, although possible, an extremely difficult task requiring additional investments.Apple will be fined for violating the law on music services, the media writes.
