14 DAY TRIAL // China is quickly becoming a hostile market for foreign companies, and most recently, the country has started a new investigation against several American tech firms over security concerns that might affect the government and local consumers.
While little is known at this point because the whole scrutiny is performed rather quietly, the New York Times writes that Apple and Microsoft are two of the companies believed to be involved.
The review started nine months ago, and several officials and engineers of the tech companies have already been interviewed by a committee that works with the Cyberspace Administration of China and includes experts from a wide variety of businesses, among which security agencies and military services.
Both Apple and Microsoft have been investigated in the past too
Although both Apple and Microsoft have remained tight-lipped at this point, it’s not a surprise to see China wanting to dig deeper into their businesses and review their products. The company has been doing the same thing for years, and American tech giants have been the target almost every single time, with Microsoft even ending up having its Windows 8 operating system banned on government PCs.
Apple, on the other hand, revealed recently that China previously requested access to iOS source code, but the company said no, an answer that is believed to be part of the growing tension between the firm and the country. Apple CEO Tim Cook has travelled to China this week to meet with local officials and discuss several business investments, and it’s believed that this security review is part of the agenda.
The Cyberspace Administration of China told the aforementioned source that such reviews are conducted on a regular basis to make sure that no violation of local legislation is happening, adding that investigators aren’t going after a specific company or product.
At the moment, neither Apple nor Microsoft has issued comments regarding the China investigation, but since “security concerns” are said to be the cause of the whole review, it’s probably just a matter of time until more information emerges.