China has expanded the scope of current restrictions on the use of iPhones by government employees in recent weeks, employees of certain central government agencies have been instructed to stop using their iPhones at their workplaces.
The ban on using Apple products is not limited to government officials alone; it includes all state employees, from nuclear power stations to hospitals.
Chinese employees have disclosed details of the comprehensive ban imposed by authorities in Beijing on the use of all company products, including iPhones, tablets, smartwatches, and computers.
An employee at the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation, who declined to provide their name, revealed that in August, the management informed employees not to bring any Apple products to the company offices, as reported by the Financial Times.
Furthermore, China Telecom, a state-owned company, visited their offices last month to sell locally manufactured phones, official sources attributed this move to the potential control that US security agencies could exert over their Apple devices through security vulnerabilities, indicating that military personnel are not the only targets, but individuals as well.
In parallel, a nurse working at a state-owned hospital in Inner Mongolia stated that the local government issued instructions to hospital employees to stop using iPhones at the end of August, she pointed out the “enormous security risks” associated with Apple’s iOS operating system, according to the newspaper.
Additionally, a police officer mentioned that they have been prohibited from using iPhones for several years, several government employees in Beijing also indicated that central government departments with ties to the military have banned the use of iPhones for many years.
The authorities have encouraged civil servants, including those in non-sensitive sectors, to opt for Chinese alternatives to smartphones, particularly from Huawei.
It’s worth noting that in recent weeks, employees have received instructions from their superiors in chat groups or meetings not to use Apple devices in government offices, according to the Wall Street Journal.
This directive represents the latest step in Beijing’s campaign to reduce reliance on foreign technology and enhance cyber security, it comes amid a broader effort to restrict the flow of sensitive information outside China’s borders.
These restrictions mirror those imposed by the United States against Huawei and officials using the Chinese-owned TikTok app, reflecting the growing concerns of the two global powers regarding data leakage amid an increasing focus on national security, bringing bilateral relations to their lowest point in decades.
