Russia will ban both the iPhone and iPad starting 2015 because of the country's new law that forces online services to store data locally.

The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2015 and affect all devices that use Apple's iCloud servers based in the United States.

According to reports, the law could also affect other online services, including Twitter and Facebook, whichstore data outside the borders of Russia. Internet ombudsman Dmitry Marinichev believes Apple doesn't have ample time to transfer all its data storage to Russian territory before 2014 ends.

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The law applies to all online services such as commerce and social networks since people are usually required to send information to servers abroad.

The law demands that all cloud date storage originating from Russia stays there. This means companies will need to have localized cloud servers on Russian territory, including Apple.

It's a misconception there is an anti-iPhone law. Reports originally suggested the ban could have the same motives that forced a business group to remove Steve Jobs' memorial in St. Petersburg. Apple is being banned not because of Russian orthodoxy but because Russia claims the iCloud could be used as a tool for western spying.

Apple may build a server farm in Russia but this might not be a good precedent for the company. Russia could ban Apple devices at the retail level and people in Russia with an iPhone or iPad supporting iCloud might have to hide their devices from the authorities.

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