Iran Is Threatening to Confiscate Millions of iPhones

Iran Is Threatening to Confiscate Millions of iPhones
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Apple has been given a few days to officially register with the Iranian government and open an officially sanctioned store in the country. If it does not, the government is threatening to ban its products and collect all iPhones from its markets, according to a report by The Japan Times.

The Japan Times has also quoted the Tasnim News Agency as reporting that “[if] Apple will not register an official representative in Iran within the next few days, all iPhones will be collected from the market.”

The strange fact of the matter is that Apple does not even technically sell its products there. Since diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran thawed last year, international economic sanctions on Iran have been relaxed in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program. As such, Apple is legally allowed to open and operate brick and mortar stores in Iran, though it has not done so yet.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Silicon Valley company attempted to open one last year and is currently attempting to negotiate distribution deals and iron out other logistical details. As of yet, however, no deal has been finalized, though Apple has been engaged in talks with potential distributors since 2014, when The Wall Street Journal first broke news of such a meeting being hosted in the company’s London office.

While the talks stretch on, iPhones continue to enter Iran unlawfully. Iran is home to 40 million smartphone users and as many as millions of iPhones, but many of the devices have been smuggled into the country from foreign markets where the phones are legal, and end up being peddled illegally in the black market.

Iran’s strongly-worded ultimatum to Apple seems to be a move to rein in the thriving underground smartphone market in the country and stem the flow of smuggled devices. The Japan Times reports that the scheme will require all mobile phones to be registered with the government in a telecommunications user database, banning the use of any such devices that are unregistered.

Given the sheer number of iPhones and other contraband smartphones proliferating in the country, many media outlets, such as Fortune have expressed skepticism at the notion that the Iranian government can even follow through with its threat to seize iPhones from the markets.

Others have also been leery of the idea of creating one massive telecommunications database, citing the potential for hacking and other unwanted intrusions. Indeed, there is an undeniably Orwellian aspect to the database, which may permit agents of the government or others to access the personal data of Iranians.

As Cult of Mac notes, the messaging app Telegram was blocked in Iran after its maker reportedly refused to assist the government to spy on its own citizens.

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