Apple Bends a Knee to Keep Chinese Business

[FrgMstr]

While this does not pertain to U.S. users of Apple iCloud products, it does specifically change the way Apple does business in China. Currently Apple stores all iCloud user encryption keys in the United States. Over the next two years Apple will move all those encryption keys for users in China to China-located servers (Archive). Apple says not to worry though as it will make those keys no more accessible to the communist Chinese government. Probably no more exposed than those are here in the US.


Apple says it is moving the keys to China as part of its effort to comply with a Chinese law on data storage enacted last year. Apple said it will store the keys in a secure location, retain control over them and hasn’t created any backdoors to access customer data. A spokesman in a statement added that Apple advocated against the new laws, but chose to comply because it “felt that discontinuing the [iCloud] service would result in a bad user experience and less data security and privacy for our Chinese customers.”

 

[Mega6]

"Gets on knees and Kisses China's Ass" Just like the rest of the tech companies - No matter how unfair their trading practices are. Just for the hope of getting market share in a very bias environment.

 

[katanaD]

since you usually have to use a local company there in china, i wonder who will be the new host for them

 

[bugleyman]

I've of mixed feelings on this one. Short of pulling out of China altogether, they really don't have any choice but to comply with the law. And speaking of the law, this one seems relatively innocuous.

 

[Armenius]

I've of mixed feelings on this one. Short of pulling out of China altogether, they really don't have any choice but to comply with the law. And speaking of the law, this one seems relatively innocuous.

Communism
Innocuous

Pick one...

 

[bugleyman]

Communism
Innocuous

Pick one...

I don't think anyone said (or implied) communism was innocuous; rather, that law itself -- which AFAIK requires that keys protecting the data of Chinese citizens reside in China -- is not unreasonable. I would be shocked if we do not have similar laws for at least some data.

One could argue that we shouldn't be doing business with China at all (I personally wouldn't, but one could), but that's not really what was being discussed.

 

[Galvin]

Problem with china is they love doing business with others. When you want to do business with them its much harder.

 

[bugleyman]

Problem with china is they love doing business with others. When you want to do business with them its much harder.

Oh, no doubt. And it doesn't see likely to get better given the current swing toward economics isolationism in the United States (who except China is likely to step into the resulting vacuum?), but that's probably a topic for another thread.

 

[WhoMe]

China's middle class is larger than the population of the USA, of course Apple et. el. are going to play nice with them. The only question will be do they go so overboard with laws that it becomes not worth it to do business there? Probably only when China thinks it can do better and wants to get rid of foreign competition...but then it's is human nature to get greedy and screw things up, like KFC and the great chicken delivery debacle in the UK.

 

[Jim Kim]

but then it's is human nature to get greedy and screw things up, like KFC and the great chicken delivery debacle in the UK.

But w/out that we would never have had this http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/02/k...hicken-shortage-with-fkc-we-are-sorry-ad.html

 

[lostin3d]

If I could like that 10x or more I would've.

 

[lostin3d]

Interesting to see Apple and MS unified compromises.

Windows 10 China Edition anyone?

 

[Azphira]

 

[Trimlock]

Google, Oracle etc all cave to be in China’s market. You’d be stupid not too.

 

[TheSoldier]

I would be slightly more alarmed if they had to hand over the master keys to China. This one only pertains to Chinese user’s keys. While I dislike a lot of Chinese practices, this one feels more of a we don’t want the U.S. to have our keys kind of deal.

 

[kju1]

I would be slightly more alarmed if they had to hand over the master keys to China. This one only pertains to Chinese user’s keys. While I dislike a lot of Chinese practices, this one feels more of a we don’t want the U.S. to have our keys kind of deal.

Give it time...