Apple Now Using China Telecom as Data Center Provider in China

china_telecom_logo Apple has officially added China Telecom as a data center provider in China, reports The Wall Street Journal. The move comes after 15 months of "stringent tests and evaluation" by the Fuzhou city government, as Apple states that all data stored on the servers is encrypted. According to Reuters, Apple says the new data center will help improve the speed and reliability of iCloud and the iTunes Store in the region.

"Apple takes user security and privacy very seriously. We have added China Telecom to our list of data center providers to increase bandwidth and improve performance for our customers in mainland China," it said.

The move could also help ease tensions between Apple and China as of late, as the country recently deemed iOS' location tracking services a "national security concern." Apple responded to those claims reiterating its commitment to privacy and stating that its Location Services exist to aide navigation features.

China has become an important market for Apple, as the company has looked to improve its presence in the country as of late. Late last year, the company started selling the iPhone on China Mobile, the country's biggest carrier, and opened more retail stores throughout the region. CEO Tim Cook has also made a number of visits to China, meeting with Bejing's mayor and the Chinese Vice Premier to discuss opportunities.

Top Rated Comments

yjchua95 Avatar
122 months ago
"Apple takes user security and privacy very seriously."

Privacy, my ass...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Planey28 Avatar
122 months ago
I just discovered Privacy > Location > Services > Popular Near Me.

What does that do? It sends off your location to Apple each time you launch an app. Why? So Apple can sell that app to other people near you.

I call BS they care about your privacy. I turned it off because it's been killing my 4S's battery by firing up my GPS every time I swap apps.

It's for the app store's popular near me section... its hardly violating your privacy since it only shows a list of popular apps in the area if a lot of users are using that app.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
euphemus Avatar
122 months ago
Knowing what we know about civil liberties and state surveillance in China, this is basically the same as Apple just handing over its Chinese customers' phones to the government.

$ > ethics.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tongxinshe Avatar
122 months ago
This makes me laugh. Privacy in China. Hell has to freeze over first. Not sure that will happen anytime soon. We will see how soon the first complaint will come that the data was breached.

You are totally wrong. Unless you are a high-profile figure, you have a much much better chance to have privacy in China than in the US. The US NSA is much much more capable than the Chinese one, they are as immoral as each other, and as willing to invade everyone's privacy as each other.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
euphemus Avatar
122 months ago
how is that too different from NSA?

It's not.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thasan Avatar
122 months ago
Knowing what we know about civil liberties and state surveillance in China, this is basically the same as Apple just handing over its Chinese customers' phones to the government.

$ > ethics.

mm...what? how is that too different from NSA? :confused:
at least, the customers will now be spied by chinese people :D

----------

It's for the app store's popular near me section... its hardly violating your privacy since it only shows a list of popular apps in the area if a lot of users are using that app.

yep. the GPS never fires off...
and it very useful! thats how i found my local taxi has a really cool app! and now its one of my most fav apps :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
best buy snowflakes

Best Buy's New Weekend Sale Has Record Low Prices on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Friday December 8, 2023 7:37 am PST by
Best Buy's month-long holiday sale continues this weekend with multiple all-time low prices on Apple's line of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers. In addition to Apple notebooks, Best Buy's event has discounts sitewide on home appliances, TVs, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
beeper mini

Apple Puts a Stop to Beeper Mini's iMessage for Android Feature

Friday December 8, 2023 2:24 pm PST by
Apple appears to have closed the loophole that Beeper Mini used to bring iMessage to Android, putting a stop to blue bubbles from Android devices. Beeper Mini quit working earlier today, with users receiving "failed to lookup on server: lookup request timed out" error messages. Beeper said on Twitter that it is investigating the issue, but Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky told TechCrunch that "all ...
maxresdefault

Review: Two Months With the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday December 7, 2023 12:04 pm PST by
Apple's iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and while most reviews are done shortly after a new device launches, we like to follow up with a longer term review that gives us an opportunity to provide a deeper dive into what it's like using these phones on a day to day basis for months. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
apple watch black friday

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hits New Record Low Price of $699, Alongside Series 9 and SE Sales

Friday December 8, 2023 8:55 am PST by
Amazon has a few big discounts on Apple Watch today, headlined by a new all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Many of these watches can be delivered by Christmas, with delivery dates around the middle of next week for most models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
iOS 17

35 Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2 Coming Next Week

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 35 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in mid-December. 1....