China Strengthens Ban on Officials Using iPhones

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Chinese government has expanded its prohibition on the utilization of iPhones and other imported gadgets by its officials. Sources familiar with the matter claim that state employees were instructed through chat groups and meetings not to bring foreign-branded devices to work or use them for official purposes. The objective behind this move is purportedly to decrease dependence on foreign technology and enhance cybersecurity measures.

If you’re having deja vu symptoms, it’s because Beijing has previously blacklisted Apple and other foreign products from ministries, most recently in 2019. At the time, the government planned to phase out Western equipment over three years in favor of local alternatives. . The goal at the time was to keep data within its boundaries and ensure the technology was “secure” and “manageable,” all as part of China’s 2017 Internet Security Law.

Apple has managed to stay above the fray probably because Foxconn and other suppliers in the country employ millions of people. It has also complied with Chinese laws by removing thousands of illegal apps such as VPNs. However, it is also more vulnerable than other companies. In addition to the dependence on manufacturing, the country’s share of Apple’s total revenue is about 19 percent.

Following US bans on Huawei and other Chinese companies, Beijing followed suit and imposed a similar ban on chipmaker Micron. The story took a new twist earlier this week when Chinese electronics company Huawei released the Mate 60 Pro smartphone, which uses 7-nanometer home-made chips that were found to be more advanced than expected after teardown. China also announced a $40 billion fund for its chip industry after ongoing trade sanctions with the United States.

Tesla is another US company exposed to China’s policy changes. The nation is said to account for a large portion of its sales in the first quarter, and is the only foreign automaker to increase its market share in the first half of 2023. China recently restricted the use of Tesla vehicles by the military and state-owned employees. According to an earlier report by the WSJ.

Apple is set to release the iPhone 15 in less than a week, and it’s rumored to feature a slimmer bezel, titanium frame, USB-C charging, and more. Apple has not responded to this story, but ReturnByte has reached out to the company for comment.