Microsoft’s report of Android device ban in China is exaggerated, employee says

(Yicai) July 10 — Reports that the Chinese unit of U.S. software giant Microsoft will force local employees to stop using Android devices and switch to iPhones are exaggerated, according to a company official.

“The claim that Android devices are not allowed is an exaggeration,” said a Yicai employee.

A Bloomberg News report yesterday said Microsoft has ordered its employees in China to switch to iPhones in the workplace and ditch Android by September. The company will provide iPhones to those who don’t have them, it added.

The employee noticed that Microsoft China had provided iOS devices to employees who did not have them.

Microsoft will soon require employees based in China to use iOS devices to verify their identities when logging in, according to an internal memo cited in the report. The move, which will affect hundreds of employees, is part of the company’s Secure Future Initiative, which aims to improve products and prevent hackers.

“The Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass apps are available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Yicai yesterday. “We hope to provide our employees with the means to access these essential apps.”

Editors: Shi Yi, Martin Kadiev