The Sochi Olympic committee has declared a ban on gadgets like iPads and iPhones and other tablets and mobile phones. The journalists are not allowed to capture images and videos with such smartphones. They are not allowed to share any information regarding the event using the smartphones as well, DNA India reports.

R-Sport, a state-run news agency, controls the accreditations for the Sochi games to be held in February. Vasily Konov, the head of the agency, has confirmed that any journalist who will be found capturing spectators or athletes are going to be charged with serious violation which will lead to the cancellation of his/her accreditation, according to Fox News. The report says that the ban is going to include every tablet and mobile devices including iPads and iPhones. In addition to that, even fans may not be allowed to carry professional cameras during the event.

An earlier report by the Huffington Post says that journalists at the Sochi Olympics are going to be banned from using social media. Popular social networking platforms like Instagram and Twitter appear to be banned. Any journalist who violates such rules will be thrown out of the event with an immediate effect. It was Buzzfeed that was one of the earliest sources to confirm the news on Monday.

Mr Konov informed the journalists that organisers were not going to be able to control normal spectators. On the other hand, supporters will be prohibited from carrying reflex cameras. The Guardian published a report earlier in October that it had seen documents which showed that every kind of communication by non-journalists and journalists were to come under heavy scanning at the Sochi Olympics 2014.

The Federal Security Service of Russia has apparently been allowed to monitor every activity of people present at the event. Their job has allegedly been made easy with the use of spying technology in Internet and telephones. They are going to supervise emails, phone calls and other social media interaction of the journalists present at the event. The document also says that average spectators too will have to face some of the most invasive and systemic spying and surveillance, according to The Guardian.