China bans use of iPhone for central government office workers
The Chinese government has imposed a ban on the use of iPhones for all workers in its central government offices, saying that the devices are prohibited from being brought into any of the government’s office buildings as part of a move that bans foreign-designed devices within its secure buildings.
Despite a large portion of iPhones being produced in China, the Chinese government has suggested that the devices pose as a security threat, therefore requiring all workers to use devices that are made and designed in China to allegedly remove the threat foreign-designed devices bring.
Whilst the ban currently applies only to workers in its central government offices, the Chinese government plans to expand its iPhone ban to some state-backed firms, according to a report from Bloomberg, a rumor has that caused $AAPL shares to drop 7%.
Although the ban does not impact Chinese citizens, because of the news that central government offices are banning the use of the devices over fear of spying or interference, Apple may start to see a decline in sales across the country, thus lowering its market share where completion from rivals Samsung and Huawei is high.