China is asking its officials to stop using iPhones in the workplace. This move represents a significant expansion of Beijing’s efforts to reduce reliance on foreign technology amid cybersecurity concerns. Government office workers have been instructed not to use Apple’s best-selling smartphone for work purposes or even bring it into building complexes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Apple phones are among the world’s most popular and expensive mobile devices. They have been used in the country’s private and corporate sectors for years.
According to the WSJ, the order to refrain from using iPhones in government offices was given by superiors to their staff in recent weeks. It wasn’t clear how widely the directive was being distributed. The WSJ also didn’t name other phone makers that may be affected by the order.
Several Chinese officials were quoted in the report as saying that the ban was meant to ensure security and protect information. The WSJ said officials were also told that it was essential to prevent data leaks outside China’s borders.
Beijing has scrutinized the country’s information systems amid rising tensions with the United States over trade and technology. Beijing has also pushed its domestic firms to develop high-tech industries that can compete with U.S. industry heavyweights.
The move to ask government officials not to use iPhones at work mirrors similar restrictions imposed by the U.S. and other Western countries against products from Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and short video platform TikTok, owned by Beijing-based tech firm ByteDance. It also comes as the world’s two largest superpowers are vying for technological self-sufficiency amid heightened tensions over national security issues.
China’s efforts to limit reliance on foreign technology are fueled by a growing perception that the United States has been spying on Beijing. The country is working to develop a domestic technology industry that can rival the global economy’s top innovators, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon.
China’s crackdown on using foreign-designed technology could be a setback for companies like Apple, which has its biggest market in the country and generates 19% of its revenue from there. However, the company is not likely to halt production in the country, as it has done with many other products. Its factory in Shenzhen is the most efficient in the world, and it employs more than 500,000 people there. The company can also cut costs by relying on local suppliers for components. This includes critical components such as batteries and displays. The firm’s newest phones include the latest generation of its flagship product, the iPhone XR. The new phone will be available in stores starting on Friday. The XR will be the first iPhone model to feature a color OLED display that can produce more vibrant colors and deeper blacks than the previous generation. It is also the first to support faster wireless networks like 5G. The XR will also be a cheaper option for users, with a starting price of $749.
