As of April 1, users who are setting up a new iPhone in Russia will see a screen that allows automatic installation of applications officially sanctioned by the Russian government, in accordance with Russian law (via Engadget).
The law in question was passed in 2019 and requires smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and smart TVs sold in Russia to come pre-installed with specific applications made by Russian companies by April 1, according to the Russian news website Vedomosti. (The law was originally set to go into effect in July 2020, but has been postponed to April 2021). Vedomosti it also says that apps won’t be installed if users don’t want to. Apple confirmed for The Verge which will comply with the law, giving users the option to install applications when activating the phone.
It is not yet clear which applications will be specifically offered to users, although Vedomosti cites an application for government services and applications from Russian companies, including Yandex, Mail.ru and Kaspersky Lab. The government appears to be aware that it may be problematic to favor specific applications and is planning to expand its list over time: “The Ministry does not is not at all interested in seeing the popular apps included in the mandatory pre-installation list take over dominant positions. If alternatives appear on the market, prove interesting to users and gain popularity quickly, they will be included in this selection and also offered for pre-installation, “said a Russian official. Vedomosti.
Apple has historically maintained strict control over the iPhone’s setup process, and that seems to be changing, if only in one market. Although Apple has previously made changes to stay with local laws – it has changed maps, blocked pride clock faces in Russia and now stores iCloud data on state servers in China – this may be one of the most dramatic changes, as it affects a screen that all users will see when setting up the iPhone.
Apple has slowly allowed users to change how iOS works out of the box, with the ability to change some standard apps on iOS 14, but the Russian government is now given a small amount of control over the setup process. As the company faces legal challenges from the EU and the US on antitrust, and on giving its competitors equal competitive conditions, we can see Apple having to give a little more control to governments if it wants to sell its phones to its citizens – although it is likely you will not be required to ask users if they want to install Spotify in the configuration. Probably.