Apple builds data center to obey Chinese cybersecurity rules
The facility will help Apple abide by convoluted new legislation.
Apple is building its first data center in China in a bid to speed up services for local users and adhere to convoluted cybersecurity laws introduced by the country last month. According to Chinese officials the regulations, which state that all foreign firms must store their data in China, are designed to counter the threat of cyberattacks.
While many overseas businesses claim the law is vague and burdensome, Apple seems more than happy to continue courting its second-largest market. The center, which will be built in the Southern province of Guizhou, is part of a planned $1 billion investment in the province, and comes less than a year after the tech giant announced plans to open a research and development center in Shenzen.
The new facility will be driven entirely by renewable energy and run in partnership with data management firm Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co Ltd. "The addition of this data center will allow us to improve the speed and reliability of our products and services while also complying with newly passed regulations," the company said in its statement. "Apple has strong data privacy and security protections in place and no backdoors will be created into any of our systems."
