Cook reassures China on iPhone security

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai in Beijing on Wednesday to discuss issues including deepening the cooperation in the fields of information and communication, as well as protecting user information security, Xinhua reported.

Although further details of the meeting are unavailable, a Mydrivers report published on the same day pointed out that "information security is definitely one of most important" topics, especially given the Chinese communication authority's tough stance on the delayed launch of Apple's new iPhone in the mainland.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which granted the sales certificate to the iPhone 6, the authority blatantly said that iOS has security problems, such as potentially leaking personal information.

The ministry found that iOS security could be compromised under two circumstances: A third party could control the computer that is connected and authorised by a iOS device; and maintenance staff could have access to users' data through three backstage service programs, and thus put individual privacy at risk, the statement said.

Apple responded that the company has taken measures to "further enhance the protection of users' safety and privacy" and haven't and never will set up "backdoors" with any government in any of its services and devices.

The new iPhone became available to mainland customers on October 17, one month after its launch in Hong Kong, the country's special administrative region.

According to an earlier report published by the state media Xinhua on the same day, only about 20 percent of the surveyed netizens in China want to buy the phone as soon as possible.