Chinese Officials Ban The Purchase of Apple Products From [...]

📅 August 7, 2014 - Chinese officials have prohibited government agencies from purchasing Apple products due to security concerns brought on by Edward Snowden's spying revelations last year.

Ten Apple products, including various versions of the iPad and MacBook, were excluded from a Government Procurement list that was released in July by China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bloomberg reports.

“When the government stops the procurement of products, it sends a signal to corporates and semi-government bodies,” says UOB Kay Hiant analyst Mark Po. “The Chinese government wants to make sure that overseas companies shouldn't have too much influence in China.”

According to sources familiar with the matter, iPhones were not included in the list, though China's state-run media recently accused the tech giant's smartphones of being a national security risk due to the devices ability to track users locations.