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Israel’s IDF Bans Android Phones—iPhones Now ‘Mandatory’ (www.forbes.com)

submitted 2 days ago by fne8w2ah@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[-] HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world 18 points 11 hours ago

If ever anyone still doesn't get how Western countries still support Israel despite the populations of those countries widely hating Israel, this shit is why.

They have blackmail on all our politicians, but moreover they can sell their domestic surveillance spy tools (such as malware) to bad actors (such as the US gov) to spy on their own citizens too.

Israel is the #1 perpetrator and exporter of fascism and police states.

[-] itisileclerk@lemmy.world 43 points 15 hours ago

IDF rules:

OK things to do:

Kill children,
Rape women,
Kill prisoners,
Destroy peoples property,
Use iPhone.

Not OK things to do:

Use Android OS

[-] 5paceThunder@lemmy.ca 7 points 17 hours ago

Guess Blackberry security was right all along

[-] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 21 hours ago

Androids are obviously Hamas

[-] fne8w2ah@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

Or Hez...

[-] ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works 4 points 17 hours ago

When Linux phone?

[-] frog@lemmus.org 1 points 10 hours ago

Pretty sure android is Linux, just really grown seperate

[-] ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 hours ago

Doesn’t count. :P

[-] anzo@programming.dev 10 points 21 hours ago

This can mean anything, it's possible they wanted just 1 platform so that their expertise is focused. And android being a little more open may have been seen (biased) as a disadvantage (i.e. enemies are more prone to find a vulnerability). We can argue with it. It's like the counterpart of people thinking that open source is per default more safe because of being open source... It's a correlation that can't prove anything..

[-] handsoffmydata@lemmy.zip 33 points 1 day ago

I thought Apple doesn’t let the bad guys … oh wait, that’s just in Movies and TV shows.

[-] CatAssTrophy@safest.space 17 points 1 day ago

It's also just not true, the villain/killer/etc has iPhones in many shows and movies already, including multiple AppleTV shows.

[-] ILiveByTheRiver@lemmings.world 14 points 1 day ago

I was already thinking of getting a Linux phone next, this is helping to seal the deal. Fuck Apple the genocide enablers.

[-] tyler@programming.dev 20 points 22 hours ago

please do explain how Apple is doing anything here. If Israel wants to provide their military with iPhones they're going to no matter what Apple does.

[-] cockmushroom@reddthat.com 7 points 18 hours ago

They don't have to do business with/in Israel.

[-] tyler@programming.dev 3 points 14 hours ago

That still will not stop a nation state (especially Israel) from getting their hands on Apple devices.

[-] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 6 points 13 hours ago

Physically obtaining the devices is insufficient; they need ongoing software updates and other network services too.

The IDF could/would absolutely not be doing this if they did not trust that Apple is a very committed partner.

You can also observe from Apple's job listings that they are.

[-] tyler@programming.dev 1 points 7 hours ago

Go ahead and post the same link for Google job listings. I’ll wait.

Having jobs in the country has nothing to do with being a “committed partner”. You’re making up connections that are most likely not there. Same for anyone claiming the same about Google. Microsoft on the other hand is directly selling and assisting the IDF, they are a committed partner.

[-] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

I think you misunderstood me

Go ahead and post the same link for Google job listings. I’ll wait.

My comment was in response to your comments (bolded below) in this thread:

I was already thinking of getting a Linux phone next, this is helping to seal the deal. Fuck Apple the genocide enablers.

please do explain how Apple is doing anything here. If Israel wants to provide their military with iPhones they’re going to no matter what Apple does.

They don’t have to do business with/in Israel.

That still will not stop a nation state (especially Israel) from getting their hands on Apple devices.

My point was not to say that Google is better than Apple here - in fact, unlike Apple (as far as I know), Google has actually built AI tools specifically tailored for Israel's genocidal business requirements.

My point is that if Apple wanted to boycott a country (which in the case of Israel they obviously don't, which job listings at their R&D centers are just one of many points of evidence of) it would actually make it difficult-to-impossible for any substantial part of the boycotted country's government to rely on using iPhones.

(Unlike Android derivatives which can easily be used without direct reliance on Google's services...)

As an aside, while I would not use iOS (due to it being proprietary), it is hard to dispute that (for most adversaries, at least) compromising it is generally much more expensive/difficult/unlikely than Android. So, given that Apple is very friendly to them, the IDF's policy decision to use iPhones makes sense.

[-] NamedUser@slrpnk.net 4 points 20 hours ago

Mind sharing any linux phones candidates you are considering?

[-] Psychonaut1969@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

FLX1s from furilabs.com is the one I'm going to try.

[-] biotin7@sopuli.xyz 3 points 20 hours ago

PinePhone.

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[-] Mrkawfee@feddit.uk 28 points 1 day ago

Guess we now know what the "i" stands for.

[-] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 88 points 1 day ago

I said it before and I’ll say it again, among all tech companies, Apple is the closest to the nazi mindset.

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 71 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Google has decided you cannot turn off Gemini in their newer versions of Android. You cannot install other roms that do either, Google is killing those too. But yea, Apple is the bad guy. Ignore the Google rug pull.

[-] BreadstickNinja@lemmy.world 8 points 15 hours ago

Wasn't it also just reported a few weeks ago that Samsung installs Israeli spyware on android devices sold in MENA?

https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-appcloud-spyware-controversy-3616325/

[-] biggeoff@sh.itjust.works 15 points 21 hours ago

Both are the bad guys, not either.

[-] UnspecificGravity@infosec.pub 22 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

What roms does Apple let you install on iPhones?

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 9 points 23 hours ago

Apple never opened that door. Google did, but they never intended to keep it open. it was there to catch up with apple. they never intended to do any good here. it was there to speed up development and win people over, then after they are already there, google can close the door and screw them all. That's what's happening now. It was a bait and switch.

[-] coolmojo@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

Yep. The attract phase is completed for Android, now on to the extract phase.

[-] Khrux@ttrpg.network 30 points 1 day ago

As much as I don't disagree, I think the "Apple is closest to Nazism" comment touches on something different. Other massive American companies have awful practices but they don't care particularly how their way of making money looks. Apple wields a specific aesthetic power that generally dictates a hegemonic uniformity, that strays the line of being to their detriment at times. I don't think any other big tech company would care in the same way if not for their desire to copy Apple.

[-] Tja@programming.dev 16 points 1 day ago

Apple never even tried to allow it, so yeah, Apple IS the bad guy. Google is becomeing it, Apple is the mayor of bad guy town.

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[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 day ago

I mean it's not just that. Probably not even mostly that. Security is really not great on Android far beyond the AI. I've been running Android for years and probably won't change until Linux with LUKS is a reasonable alternative, But from a hardware level on through to the software, there are so many holes in the OS and ways to access privileged information. Even the top end of the Samsung line is largely rootable at this point, not without concessions, mind you, but as far as an enemy getting a phone and gaining access, or the company itself getting your data even without AI, I'd probably be concerned enough for ANY military org not to allow them to be used.

Apple has a hell of a lot of issues, might even be overly friendly with Israel, but from a security standpoint, it's probably safer for secrets than android at the moment.

I really just want an encrypted portable linux device with a cellular modem. I don't even care if it can SMS or VOLTE, I just need it to run a secure chat client, support Bluetooth headphones and last all day on a charge.

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 5 points 22 hours ago

You aren't going to get such a device enabled on the american cellular networks. The duoploy wont allow it. You would have a better chance creating a new network that doesnt need cellular technology. something that behaves more like a cordless phone that uses whatever wifi, packet radio, reticulum node, etc as the base. You wouldn't be able to get a straight phone number without a VoIP subscription but thats also not a terribly big problem as phone numbers are a terrible idea in 2025 anyway. We should have revocable keys exchanged at will that are unique to each contact. Either side can block communications effectively that way at any time and you couldnt just call them from a different number or sell the key to a different scammer or something.

Really, a 5G capable phone running linux isnt a big enough goal. Mobile communications needs a profound shift away from the legacy model.

[-] tym@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

and meanwhile, the american supreme court is ruling on terminating online access due to piracy today. I wonder what they'll rule....

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/12/01/daily-briefing-music-piracy-supreme-court-stockton-shooting-world-aids-day/87505607007/

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 1 points 14 hours ago

I can get a data sim card and put it in a laptop right now. It's just an inconvenient form factor.

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 hours ago

Mobile provides can remove it from their end if they feel the device will “harm or degrade performance of their network”. Some American cell phone providers are doing this with Linux phones already.

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[-] biotin7@sopuli.xyz 3 points 20 hours ago

Oh boy this is great, now we can call iPhone users as zionists, any excuse to demonize Apple People, I'm down for it

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this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2025

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