iPhone a Danger to China's National Security: State Media

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 11 July 2014 17:25 IST
Chinese state media on Friday branded Apple Inc's iPhone a threat to national security because of the smartphone's ability to track and time-stamp user locations.

A report by broadcaster CCTV criticised the iPhone's "Frequent Locations" function for allowing users to be tracked and information about them revealed.

"This is extremely sensitive data," said a researcher interviewed by the broadcaster. If the data were accessed, it could reveal an entire country's economic situation and "even state secrets," the researcher said.

Apple was not available for immediate comment.

Apple has frequently come under fire from Chinese state media, which accused the company of providing user data to U.S. intelligence agencies and have called for 'severe punishment'. It has also been criticised for poor customer service.

Advertisement

The California-based company is not the only U.S. firm to suffer from Chinese media ire.

Advertisement

(Also See: Apple Loses Siri Voice Recognition Patent Case in China)

Google Inc services have been disrupted in China for over a month, while the central government procurement office has banned new government computers from using Microsoft Corp's Windows 8 operating system.

Other U.S. hardware firms such as Cisco Systems Inc and IBM Corp have experienced a backlash in China from what analysts and companies have termed the 'Snowden Effect', after U.S. spying revelations released last year by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

© Thomson Reuters 2014

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Further reading: Apple, Microsoft, Mobiles, NSA, iPhone, China
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Flipkart Reveals Deals on Phones For its Upcoming Sale: See Offers
  2. Here's How Much the Motorola Signature Could Cost in India
  3. Here Are the Top 10 Deals on Smartphones During the Upcoming Amazon Sale
  4. Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G India Variant Spied on Geekbench, Could Launch Soon
  5. Samsung Galaxy S26 Could Finally Get 45W Fast Charging Upgrade
  6. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2026: Best Deals on Wearables
  7. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2026: Here Are the Top Deals on Laptops
  8. Insta360 Link 2 Pro, Link 2C Pro Debut With 4K AI Cameras, Gimbal Tracking
  9. Nothing Phones Will Get More Expensive in 2026
  10. Red Magic 11 Air Design, Colourways and Display Features Confirmed
  1. PSLV-C62 Failure Marks India’s First Space Launch Setback of 2026
  2. A Massive Black Hole Starved Pablo’s Galaxy, Ending Its Star Formation
  3. Scientists Study 100 Possible Alien Signals as Arecibo’s Historic SETI Search Concludes
  4. Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G India Launch Seems Imminent After Smartphone Appears on Geekbench
  5. Battlefield 6 Season 2 Delayed to February as EA Extends Season 1
  6. CERT-In Urges Android Users to Update Smartphones After Google Patches Critical Dolby Vulnerability
  7. Apple Led Market as Global Smartphone Shipments Rose 2.3 Percent YoY in Q4 2025 Despite Growing Memory Shortage: IDC
  8. Red Magic 11 Air Design, Colour Options and Display Features Confirmed
  9. Motorola Signature Box Price in India, Launch Date Leaked Ahead of Arrival: Expected Specifications
  10. Dhandoraa Now Streaming on Prime Video: Know Everything About This Telugu Drama Film Online
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.