Chinese government bans iPhone use for officials citing security concerns

A report by the Wall Street Journal claims that the Chinese government has restricted its officials from using smartphones made abroad including iPhones. The news comes just a few days before the launch of the next-gen iPhone 15 series has led to Apple losing $200 billion in just two days.

The decision is apparently taken over security risks Chinese citizens might face for their personal data but it could rather be a counter against the US’s continuous attempt at pushing Chinese digital technologies out of its home country.

It could also be part of a larger plan as China wants to create its own alternatives cutting down its reliance on foreign technologies. WSJ reports that Chinese officials are instructed not to use iPhones for work-related activities and are banned from bringing iPhones to work.

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Making matters worse for the Cupertino giant, the ban could extend its scope. Bloomberg suggests that the ban will certainly expand to government-backed agencies and companies as the country seeks self-reliance on technology.

The technology war has both these countries at loggerheads. The US has imposed restrictions on US companies to cooperate with Huawei, ZTE, and other Chinese firms for technologies. As a counter, Huawei brought its own HarmonyOS. The US is also very skeptical about TikTok being a spying vehicle for the Chinese state something the company has been declining categorically.

But now, the Chinese government is putting a ban on using iPhones citing security risks. One thing is for sure, the warfare between the two superpowers doesn’t seem to be thawing anytime soon.

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