Why Microsoft is forcing its employees in China to use iPhones

Microsoft says it will provide iPhone 15 devices to employees in China. Photo: Shutterstock

Microsoft has informed employees in China and Hong Kong that they can no longer use devices running Google’s Android operating system for work purposes. Starting in September, they will only be able to use Apple iPhones that have been provided to them.

He was the first to report on this move. Bloombergciting an internal memo that stated that Apple devices would be needed to verify the identity of employees logging into Microsoft systems using the Microsoft Authenticator app or Microsoft Identity Pass.

A Microsoft spokesman said the decision was due to the unavailability of Google Mobile Services in China.

Since Google’s Play Store is not available in China, Apple’s App Store remains the only place where Microsoft employees in China can download security apps the company deems essential.

The decision highlights the fragmentation of Android app stores in China, as Chinese companies such as Huawei and Xiaomi that have Android phones run their own app platforms.

An internal memo shows that Microsoft has decided to block Android devices from connecting to its infrastructure in China, but employees will be able to use Android devices for personal purposes outside of work.

Although Microsoft no longer produces its own mobile phones or mobile operating systems, Apple still considers itself one of its main rivals.

Safety in focus

The measure is reportedly part of Microsoft’s efforts to avoid attacks by hackers who have managed to break into many of the organization’s systems in recent years.

Microsoft has come under increased scrutiny this year after hackers linked to Russia gained access to senior executives’ email accounts and confidential source code.

_{Microsoft has offices in many Chinese cities. Photo: Shutterstock}

In April, the U.S. government also accused Microsoft of a “series of mistakes” that allowed state-backed Chinese hackers to break into the email accounts of senior U.S. officials.

In May, Microsoft expanded its Secure Future initiative, with Chief Security Officer Charlie Bell stating, “At Microsoft, security is our highest priority, above everything else—above all other features.”

Microsoft operates a large R&D facility in China and says its Asia Pacific R&D Group has scientists and engineers from the following Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Suzhou.

Wall Street Journal In May, Microsoft said it was asking hundreds of its cloud computing and artificial intelligence employees in China to relocate outside the country as tensions between Washington and Beijing rose.