China Bans IPhone Use For Government Officials

(RTTNews) - The Chinese government has issued a ban on the use of iPhones by central government officials, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Citing undisclosed sources, the report says that China's primary goal is to reduce its dependency on foreign technology, improve cybersecurity, as well as safeguard sensitive data from potential leaks to foreign governments.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the instruction has been passed on to employees through chat groups and meetings by their respective managers.

Although the ban covers all foreign-made smartphones, its impact is particularly pronounced on Apple, given that China represents one of the tech giant's largest markets, accounting for approximately 19% of its total revenue.

Amid ongoing trade tensions, this iPhone ban among government officials may also be seen as a form of retaliation against similar actions taken by the United States concerning Chinese technology.

CNN reports that, even before this formal ban, Chinese officials had been informally adhering to an unwritten rule of abstaining from using iPhones for several months.

Last June, CNN reported that certain Chinese government ministries had prohibited Tesla vehicles from entering their premises, citing concerns over security.