China on Wednesday made its first public comments about reports that the government is restricting the use of Apple’s iPhones by some state employees, saying that Beijing had noted what it claimed were security concerns about the device.
The comments by Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, were short on details. She pointed to what she described as “media reports” about security flaws in the iPhone, without elaborating.
She also said China had not published “any law, regulation or policy document” banning the purchase or use of foreign cellphones, including those made by Apple.
The comments come after some employees of government agencies have said they have had been told not to use iPhones for work. Notices issued to government employees and state-owned businesses, calling for usage of domestic brands of cellphones, have also been circulating online. China’s usually strict internet censors have yet to delete claims about the restrictions.
Comments are closed.