(Image credit- Business Today)
According to reports, China has prohibited central government officials from using iPhones and other foreign-branded smartphones for work.
China bans bringing iPhones into government buildings in an effort to reduce reliance on foreign technology and boost cybersecurity.
According to the reports, this represents a significant expansion of Beijing’s long-standing policy, which seeks to reduce reliance on foreign technology in light of international cybersecurity threats.
China Prohibits Central Government Officials from Using iPhones
It is unknown how far China’s iPhone ban will be enforced, even though employees at a few central government regulatory institutions have received the same orders.
The iPhone prohibition in China for government employees signals a tightening of earlier restrictions on the use of iPhones for work-related purposes by government employees at particular agencies.
Also, Beijing’s intensified efforts to ensure rigorous conformity to its technological regulations are highlighted by the present order’s broader region.
What are the Effects of the iPhone Ban in China?
If the ban were to be widely applied, it might have a big impact on foreign companies operating in China. Apple considers China to be one of its most significant markets and has kept a stronghold there, with the country accounting for about 19% of its overall sales.
Apple is vulnerable to the Chinese Government’s iPhone Ban because of its reliance on Greater China for both manufacture and sales. According to Apple’s Q3 2023 report, the Greater China region, which consists of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, contributed more than 19% of the company’s sales for the three months ending in July.
Also read: Magic V2, the World’s Slimmest Foldable Phone, Likely to Launch Outside China
According to the reports, the tech giant’s performance in China has slipped; the company delivered 3.1 million devices in July, a 2% year-over-year reduction. The memo also notes that China supplied 23% of the iPhone sales units during the preceding 12 months.
Apple received criticism when it restricted “Everyone” setting AirDrop usage to only 10 minutes in China last year. Since Chinese protesters had utilized the tool to get around censorship regulations, many people thought Apple had caved under pressure from Beijing.
Rise in US-China Technology Tensions
Another significant US tech company, Tesla, is impacted by China’s evolving restrictions. In the first half of 2023, just one international manufacturer, Tesla gained market share, and a sizable chunk of that manufacturer’s sales came from China, according to the reports.
The US has responded with sanctions meant to impede China’s technological development, while the Biden administration and some local governments have made efforts to restrict or discourage the use of TikTok, a well-known app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
According to the reports, the increasing tensions in the tech industry were highlighted in July when China’s envoy to the US threatened retaliation against American escalations and denounced US restrictions on microchip sales in China.
