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by eridius 2908 days ago
iMessage isn't SMS so I don't understand your first sentence. That's like saying "Nobody sends email because postal stamps are expensive".

As for the second sentence, iMessage isn't iCloud. And even if the iMessage data is stored in the same data center (which I have no idea), it's end-to-end encrypted so that doesn't help China.
2 comments
JayXon 2908 days ago
I meant that because iMessage fallback to SMS and you don't know if sending an iMessage to someone will go through iMessage or SMS which might cost you money, that's why nobody uses iMessage.

iMessage isn't iCloud, but iMessages are stored in iCloud, Apple also stores iCloud encryption keys in China. See https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/25/apple-moves-icloud-encrypt...

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rickycook 2907 days ago
it’s pretty easy to disable the fallback
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Cyph0n 2908 days ago
If Apple needs to comply with China's demands, do you think that Apple would refuse to break encryption if China requested it?
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eridius 2908 days ago
Yes. I think Apple would disable iMessage in China entirely before breaking its encryption.
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kodablah 2908 days ago
I disagree. But say the option wasn't to disable imessage, but rather break the encryption or stop selling in China? Or stop using your own encrypted icloud storage and use one run by China or stop selling in China?

To buttress your belief, is there any circumstance where they didn't cave to requests from the Chinese government? Or anywhere where they publicly disagreed at least? Honest question as I'm unsure if it has ever happened.

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eridius 2907 days ago
China can't mandate that Apple run an unencrypted messaging system in China. They could demand that Apple not run an encrypted one, but it would be complete nonsense to say "you must operate a message network or you can't sell phones!"

> To buttress your belief, is there any circumstance where they didn't cave to requests from the Chinese government?

I don't see how I could have an answer to that question, because Apple doesn't publicize the times that China asks them to do something and they say no. I would certainly imagine that China has probably asked them to break the encryption on iMessage.

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