In a move that marks a company first, Apple has begun keeping personal data of some Chinese users on servers in mainland China, reported Reuters. Apple said its decision is part of an effort to improve the speed and reliability of its iCloud service, which allows users to store pictures, email and other data.
According to a statement made by Apple on 15 August, the data will be kept on servers provided by wireless carrier, China Telecom.
"Apple takes user security and privacy very seriously," it said. "We have added China Telecom to our list of data centre providers to increase bandwidth and improve performance for our customers in mainland China. All data stored with our providers is encrypted. China Telecom does not have access to the content."
A source with knowledge of the situation said the encryption keys for Apple's data on China Telecom servers would be stored offshore and not made available to China Telecom. Apple has said it has developed encryption systems for services such as iMessage that even Apple cannot unlock.
News of the China Telecom agreement came to light on 14 August when a local website in the southeastern province of Fujian announced that iCloud had migrated to China Telecom's servers after a fifteen month testing and review process. The website article is no longer available on the site.
