Why Has China Labeled The iPhone A "National Security Threat"?
Broadcast by state-run CCTV cites researchers who say tracking app could expose 'state secrets.'
By Sadho Ram — 12 Jul 2014, 04:19 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
China's influential state broadcaster on Friday called a location-tracking function offered by Apple's iPhone a "national security concern," the Wall Street Journal reports
In its national noon broadcast, state-run China Central Television criticized the "frequent locations" function in Apple's iOS 7 mobile operating system, which records time and location for the owner's movements.
wsj.comThe report quoted researchers who said that those with access to that data could gain knowledge of China's economic situation or "even state secrets"
This location information could be used to potentially sleuth out information about the state of affairs in China, including possibly “state secrets” according to Chinese researchers quoted in the report, which was broadcast on the state-run China Central Television network on Friday.
techcrunch.com
Apple has faced a fair amount of state-sponsored criticism in China, a market where the prevailing powers have a stated goal of promoting more home-grown network and IT solutions
CCTV has previously been critical of Apple, including when it accused the company of discriminatory practices against Chinese customers implied in its warranty policies.
techcrunch.com
The People’s Daily also decried Apple’s customer service practices as “arrogant” last year, and Xinhua cited Apple as a cause behind students running up high-interest debt.
telegraph.co.ukAll of these campaign efforts have so far fallen on deaf ears; Apple’s consumer base in China is strong and growing stronger, the TechCrunch reports
Nevertheless, Apple CEO Tim Cook has shown himself willing to play ball with the criticism from Chinese media, warranted or not – last year he issued an apology in the form of a letter for the complaints by CCTV about its warranty practices, and promised to amend its policies accordingly.
techcrunch.com
In most cases, the concerns of the Chinese state-sponsored media appear to be overblown, and not without agenda, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have influence
The CCTV broadcast represents a potential challenge for Apple in an increasingly competitive market. The Cupertino, Calif., company holds only a 6% share of China's smartphone market, according to research firm Analysys, while models made by Samsung Electronics Co. and others running Google's Android mobile operating system command a greater share.
wsj.comCook clearly recognizes that and has acted in the past to make changes accordingly, but we’ll have to see if Apple formulates a response to this fresh criticism as well.
techcrunch.com