When did Chinese citizens ever have any privacy? Nothing really changes here other than where the data is stored.
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Apple Announces Relocation of Chinese Customers' iCloud Data From U.S. to Mainland China
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When did Chinese citizens ever have any privacy? Nothing really changes here other than where the data is stored.
I don’t endorse China’s social and political lifestyle, but I understand how it can be acceptable to most of its citizens. The depressing reality of most societies is that you must choose between freedom or security. To gain more of one, you must sacrifice the other. Even in our country, some people prefer security (conformity, obedience, authority, social privilege, swift and harsh punishment) to individuality and the pursuit of happiness.
If the majority of China’s citizens felt they were unfairly repressed, there’s enough of them that they could force a change. Apple is only complying with the accepted attitudes of that culture.
Ugh... The average Chinese doesn't give a crap about the Communist Party. The Communist Party has almost no control over the daily lives of people. This idea that it is oppressive is just silly. Stating that the Communist Party is oppressive is always thrown out, but yet is never defined. China and Chinese have different cultural values and norms than Anglos, and trying to impose your own preferences for social and political systems on others is neocolonialism at best, and outright racist at worst.
Apple ID is tied to payment information. Whatever your payment information is, Apple will switch you to that regional store.
See what I posted above. Chinese do not care about their privacy. This idea of a right to privacy is a social and political construct and one that most Chinese don't think about or care about. This is manifested in many ways, most noticeably in extremely small personal spaces.
Between the NSA and whatever the Chinese agency is called (MSS according to Wikipedia) I would still pick the NSA. The USA is after all a functioning democracy with rule of law.
Despite that I would prefer my data in the EU, under EU law and jurisdiction.
Despite that I would prefer my data in the EU, under EU law and jurisdiction.
Makes sense; no different than some Canadian companies requiring that their cloud data be kept in domestic data centres because of the perceived threat of the Patriot Act in the US. That's why companies like Amazon, Microsoft, etc. have invested in opening up data centres here...
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Glad to know you know more than anybody else on who will have access to encrypted data.... smhGood grief.
Where's all your "courage" now Apple?
They make some grandiose stand against the U.S. government not to unlock terrorist devices where Americans are killed... yet easily get in bed with the oppressive Chinese government so they can continue to do business and rack up profits there.
Here's hoping the data center in China doesn't find some backdoor into the iCloud centers in other countries...
I should have been more clear. US turns a blind eye to human rights abuse in some countries while coming down hard on others. Homosexuality is criminalized in both Saudi Arabia and Uganda yet Obama went out of his way to threaten Uganda with aid sanctions over the legislation. What have they ever done about Saudi Arabia?Not always. Think about US meddling in Iran's affairs.
So let Apple be, let them mingle with the devil just to turn a profit.
What’s really at stake is the over 1B potential customers market,whose income keep on rising. Who wants to lose such a piece of pie?
Good grief.
Where's all your "courage" now Apple?
They make some grandiose stand against the U.S. government not to unlock terrorist devices where Americans are killed... yet easily get in bed with the oppressive Chinese government so they can continue to do business and rack up profits there.
Here's hoping the data center in China doesn't find some backdoor into the iCloud centers in other countries...
What exactly are they supposed to do? Say no to the Chinese government? Then all Apple products will be banned in China and nothing will change. At least by complying Apple retains a presence in the country and can provide some measure of competition and increased security.
Well duh, why would they need a backdoor when they're getting a nice open frontdoor.
They did to the U.S. government. Then puffed out their chests in the media like the company was some sort of moral high ground which stood for something against all government intrusion of consumer privacy.
Now we see Apples true colors... when they fold up like a cheap suit to the even more oppressive Chinese government
But hey... who cares if Apple doesn't practice what they preach as long as they make a lot of money right?
Safety and security wise it's better when your data stored in other country where your government could not easily get them. China is not the best candidate, but still better than own country or close ally.
One day you might wake up in a place that really isn't a democracy and you would know the difference.BWAAAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh thanks. I needed a good laugh.
Good grief. So serious.
The US Congress might be functioning, but barely, and that’s no joke.
They did to the U.S. government. Then puffed out their chests in the media like the company was some sort of moral high ground which stood for something against all government intrusion of consumer privacy.
Now we see Apples true colors... when they fold up like a cheap suit to the even more oppressive Chinese government
But hey... who cares if Apple doesn't practice what they preach as long as they make a lot of money right?
Because the US government couldn't and wouldn't ban Apple products, and has a fair court system to adjudicate disputes between corporations and the government; China does not. If you don't play ball with the Communist Party, they will destroy you.
Do you not understand the difference or do you just not care for the sake of argument?
This is likely a requirement of China.
I served as a consultant to Microsoft CRM Dynamics during roll-out of a dedicated Sovereign Cloud for Germany due to German Law restricting access to the data to German Nationals. So Microsoft could not use their existing EU data centers to hold data generated by German corporations.
Microsoft is now in the process of building a Sovereign CRM Cloud for Chinese customers and I expect there are legal reasons to do so in addition to commercial (securing Chinese customers).
I served as a consultant to Microsoft CRM Dynamics during roll-out of a dedicated Sovereign Cloud for Germany due to German Law restricting access to the data to German Nationals. So Microsoft could not use their existing EU data centers to hold data generated by German corporations.
Microsoft is now in the process of building a Sovereign CRM Cloud for Chinese customers and I expect there are legal reasons to do so in addition to commercial (securing Chinese customers).
It’s either do what they want or stop doing business in China completely, it’s pretty simple. And since essentially all of Apples products are manufactured there, the Chinese government has Apple over a barrel, there’s not much they can do as long as that’s the situation. If Apple tries playing hardball, there’s all kinds of ways the Chinese government can throw wrenches into the works, they could wreck Apple’s entire business by shutting down a few Foxconn plants (for “inspections” or whatever phoney delays they make up) if they want to. Unfortunately Apple needs China a lot more than China needs Apple.
My point is not that Apple shouldnt intentionally get banned from China... it's that they are gigantic hypocrites.
Apple and Cook talk a good game and pretend to do whatever it takes to protect customers privacy... just so long that it doesn't cost them any money
You can say "They had to or they would be banned!" all you want. What matters to me is that they don't follow the morals that they seem to preach so loudly here in America against our govt.
Because the United States has protections that China does not. So the US government cannot apply anywhere near the commercial pressure that the Chinese government can. It's pretty easy for Apple to tell the President or the FBI to sod off when they know that the US Government will not put the iPhone on a "No Buy" list for official use purchases or apply ruinous import tariffs on components critical to make the phone.
I don't get the issue.. What's stopping a Chinese national who really wants their data stored in US, from physically acquiring Apple products, and setting up US iCloud account(s) and services on US soil, or have another service do it for them for a small fee?
My point is not that Apple shouldnt intentionally get banned from China... it's that they are gigantic hypocrites.
Apple and Cook talk a good game and pretend to do whatever it takes to protect customers privacy... just so long that it doesn't cost them any money
You can say "They had to or they would be banned!" all you want. What matters to me is that they don't follow the morals that they seem to preach so loudly here in America against our govt.
But that’s exactly your point. You say they should resist the Chinese so they aren’t hypocrites, which will absolutely get them kicked out of China. What good does that do anybody? You’re demanding an illogical and unproductive moral purity that is impossible to achieve. It is so simple minded as to be almost laughable. In a perfect world Apple could treat China and the US the same; unfortunately we don’t live in that world.
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Probably the Great Firewall. I’d imagine the Chinese have ways to prevent iPhones on Chinese networks from accessing US-based iCloud servers. And they seem to be having great success blocking VPN services in the country.