In a meeting between Apple CEO, Tim Cook and Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, Zheng Shanjie, China urged Apple to improve its data security and personal privacy protection.
The statement released by the state planner on Tuesday stated that Chairman Zheng emphasized the importance of protecting user data and privacy, and called on Apple to take more proactive measures to strengthen its data security practices.
China has been pushing for stricter data security measures from technology companies in recent years. In 2017, the country implemented a new cybersecurity law that requires foreign companies to store data within China’s borders and comply with government censorship and surveillance.
Apple, on the other hand, has already faced scrutiny from the Chinese government over its data practices. For instance, in 2018, Apple moved the data of its Chinese iCloud users to state-run servers, which drew criticism from privacy advocates who were concerned about the Chinese government’s access to the data.
Despite this, Apple has maintained that it values user privacy and has implemented several measures to protect user data.