Russia offers Apple, SAP to disclose initial codes for work with state agencies

Russia’s Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov has offered Apple and SAP to disclose their initial codes to experts of Russian state agencies.
Nikiforov had a meeting with director of Apple’s regional office in Russia Peter Engrob Nielsen and Vyacheslav Orekhov, head of European multinational software corporation SAP, headquartered in Germany, on Tuesday.
“The disclosures of Edward Snowden in 2013 and public statements by American intelligence services on intensifying surveillance on Russia, in 2014 seriously raised the issue of confidence in foreign software and equipment,” Nikiforov said. “Obviously, the companies that disclose the initial code of their programs don’t hide anything, and those reluctant to cooperate with Russia in this matter may have undeclared options in their software.” The communications minister said that prospects for the use of such software tools and hardware facilities in state companies or budget projects remains uncertain, because state customers will prefer trusted software solutions to uncertified products.