Microsoft’s decision to ban its employees in China from using Android phones became controversial, and they were immediately criticized by netizens on Weibo.
A post on Weibo describing Microsoft’s new rules received 27 thousand negative comments. For example, there was a netizen who said that Microsoft had set a bad precedent regarding foreign companies banning the use of Chinese Android phones.
Other netizens also questioned Microsoft’s decision to require its employees to use iPhones. Microsoft should consider using Huawei phones with HarmonyOS, which is a replacement OS for Android after Huawei was blacklisted by the United States.
( SEMISLOT88 ) However, Microsoft did not remain silent and defend itself. They said the obligation to use an iPhone was carried out because cellphones with Android OS in China cannot use Google Mobile Services.
“(Because) Google Mobile Services is not available in this region,” said a Microsoft representative, as quoted by detikINET from SCMP.
In fact, Microsoft is improving its company’s security. One way is to require all employees in China to verify their identity using Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass, which are only available on the App Store and Play Store. Without access to Mobile Services, the phone cannot use the Play Store.
As is known, Mobile Services, and many other Google applications and services such as Play Search, YouTube and Gmail, are blocked in China.
As previously reported, Microsoft prohibits its employees in China from using Android phones for security reasons. Instead, Microsoft employees in China are required to use iPhones as their work devices.
Microsoft employees in China who do not have iPhones will be given iPhone 15 semis by the company. Microsoft will open a special slot to distribute 88 iPhones to employees in need at all its facilities in China.
