Apple’s iCloud data services on the Chinese mainland will be controlled by a state-owned enterprise based in Guizhou province from February, the US company has announced.
Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD) will take over the operations of all Apple’s China iCloud data services from February 28 and all the company’s data will be stored domestically in China, according to Caixin. “Use of these services and all the data stored with iCloud – including photos, videos, documents and backups – will be subject to the Terms and Conditions of iCloud operated by GCBD,” Apple said in a statement.
Apple partnered with GCBD, a state-owned data management firm, to invest $1 billion to build a data center in southwestern Guizhou province in July. GCBD runs the center, with Apple providing technology support.
The move is a response to China’s tightening rules on cloud services, which include the implementation of a sweeping new Cybersecurity Law in June 2017 that requires tech firms to store all their China data inside the country.