china-flagProducts sold by Apple have recently been subjected to security reviews conducted by a committee associated with China's Cyberspace Administration, reports The New York Times.

The security reviews aim to determine whether the products "pose potential security threats" to China and Chinese consumers and have required Apple employees to answer questions about encryption and data storage in person. Other foreign technology companies who operate in China are also being required to submit to the reviews.

According to The New York Times, the security reviews are notable because they are targeting consumer software and gadgets that are popular in China. In other countries, similar security reviews take place, but are limited to products that are used by the military or government officials. Chinese officials have not explained the reasoning behind the checks, nor have the reviews been formally disclosed, reportedly leading tech companies and the U.S. government to worry they're being used to obtain vital security info.

Ultimately, the reviews could be used to block products without explanation or to extract trade secrets in exchange for market access. Those secrets could be leaked to Chinese competitors or expose vulnerabilities, which, in turn, Chinese hackers could exploit.

Further, tech companies are concerned that the reviews could set a precedent and that other countries will follow suit, each demanding different checks that would not only be costly but also put the companies at risk of having to hand over further secrets in exchange for market access.

It is not known what specific information Chinese authorities have asked for under the review process, and there is no indication that technology companies have provided sensitive information like source code. In a statement, the Cyberspace Administration of China told The New York Times that many countries carry out security reviews and that its inspections do not target "any particular country or product."

During a recent congressional hearing, Apple legal chief Bruce Sewell said China had asked Apple to hand over source code within the last two years but the company refused to do so. "I want to be very clear on this," Sewell said. "We have not provided source code to the Chinese government."

After the United States, Greater China, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, is Apple's second largest market by revenue. Apple is eager to grow its business in the country, but Apple has faced regulatory issues in recent weeks, including the forced shutdown of iTunes Movies and iBooks Stores in the country.

In a move that can perhaps be seen as an effort to smooth relations with China, Apple recently announced a $1 billion investment in Chinese ride-sharing company Didi Chuxing and just this afternoon, it announced a major GarageBand update with support for Chinese musical instruments.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: China

Top Rated Comments

SHNXX Avatar
116 months ago
I hope that one day 1.3 billion Chinese people can experience a freer internet without government monitoring and censorship, just like the ones we have in the US.... well, except the NSA and FBI reading emails and asking Apple to hand over master keys to encryption, of course.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LovingTeddy Avatar
116 months ago
I am Chinese and I do not like Chinese government. I don't believe Chinese government is doing these for national security purpose.

However, if American government can block Huawei and ZTC in USA, then Chinese government can do the samething. Frankly, I think Chinese government should check all foreign companies and its products to protect our national interest. If American believe Huawei post national security threat to USA, then Chinese should also being concerned about American companies poss thread to Chinese national security.
[doublepost=1463444762][/doublepost]
Quote: "the Cyberspace Administration of China told The New York Times ('http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/technology/china-quietly-targets-us-tech-companies-in-security-reviews.html') that many countries carry out security reviews and that its inspections do not target "any particular country or product."

Translation: We don't discriminate and steal trade secrets from everybody equally :D


It is not USA does not steal from others. USA is equally guilty on stealing tread secretes. Don't pretent you guys are clean.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macs4nw Avatar
116 months ago
I am Chinese and I do not like Chinese government. I don't believe Chinese government is doing these for national security purpose.

However, if American government can block Huawei and ZTC in USA, then Chinese government can do the samething. Frankly, I think Chinese government should check all foreign companies and its products to protect our national interest. If American believe Huawei post national security threat to USA, then Chinese should also being concerned about American companies poss thread to Chinese national security.
Sorry, but when it comes to copying and stealing trade secrets, as well as respecting international law regarding IP, your country's reputation isn't that great.....
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
116 months ago
"Security theats" meaning ability to lookup the Tiananmen Square incident.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69650 Avatar
116 months ago
Sooner or later the west will have to stand up to the Chinese and stop the appeasement of this evil regime.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SHNXX Avatar
116 months ago
As a citizen of a more progressive country, I agree, you guys are slowly catching up. *golfclap* :)
Get off your high horses.
I said "equality" before law and individual liberty (read: property rights), not equality of outcome, collectivism or cultural Marxism.
Irony should not be lost that you're here on a rumors website to discuss US products and searching the internet using US browsers with US search engines.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...