China Notes ‘Security Incidents’ With iPhones as Agencies Bar Staff From Use

Customers look at the new iPhone 14 at an Apple store in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Sept. 16, 2022. Getty Images

Beijing on Sept. 13 seemingly offered a rationale behind the state’s partial ban on iPhones while denying that it would outright ban Apple products.

“We noticed that there have been many media reports about security incidents concerning Apple phones,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. Bloomberg reported that the official English translation of the remarks omitted the reference to media reports.