Key Highlights:
- Apple has stopped presenting certain location information to mainland Chinese users in the newest edition of its Compass app.
- The modifications were brought about by Apple’s most recent software upgrades, which included iOS 15.1.
- The firm has been chastised for its censorship in mainland China, which it claims is required to comply with local laws and regulations.
Apple blocks information on the Compass app
Apple has stopped presenting certain location information to mainland Chinese users in the newest edition of its Compass app, a decision that some users believe is related to Beijing’s tougher attitude to data protection.
According to Chinese media reports and user comments, iPhone and Apple Watch users in China can no longer view their geographic coordinates and elevation on the Compass app.
However, data such as bearings and geographical position are still available.
The modifications were brought about by Apple’s most recent software upgrades, which included iOS 15.1, which was published in China in late October, and watchOS 8.3, which was released this week.
It is unclear why the data is no longer accessible to mainland Chinese users. A query made in late October on Apple’s official Chinese website’s community discussion page regarding whether the move was due to Chinese government policy or a glitch earned 269 upvotes.
A comment on the change received over 900,000 views and 105 replies on Zhihu, China’s Quora-like Q&A platform, with some users promising to delay updating their devices as a result, and others speculating that it has something to do with the Chinese government’s restrictions on the use of geographic information.
Apple’s acknowledgment
Before “participating in surveying and mapping operations,” foreign organizations must get a license from the State Council and the Chinese military, as well as collaborate with a Chinese entity, under China’s Surveying and Mapping Law, which was originally implemented in 2002.
A new version of the legislation enacted in 2017 includes provisions requiring the government to increase its oversight of online mapping services.
Apple’s built-in map program on iPhones sold in mainland China takes mapping data from AutoNavi, an Alibaba-owned navigation service.
Apple acknowledged in its current user guide for the Compass app, which is available on its Chinese website, that geographic coordinates and elevation are not available in some nations and areas but did not elaborate or specify mainland China.
Apple did not reply quickly to a request for comment.
The firm has been chastised for its censorship in mainland China, which it claims is required to comply with local laws and regulations.
Apple banned its iBooks and iTunes Movies shops in mainland China in 2016 and has since actively deleted virtual private network (VPN) apps that netizens use to circumvent the Great Firewall.
Read more: China Implements a Stricter Law for Companies Managing User Data
