China’s government has enacted a new law prohibiting the government from purchasing PCs with Intel and AMD chips, as well as Microsoft software products, including its Windows operating system.
The new rules were set in December by the country’s Information Technology Security Evaluation Center and apply to all governments and agencies above the township level. China has previously banned Microsoft’s Windows OS in 2022 and has also banned Apple’s iPhone products in government buildings and Micron Technology products for infrastructure projects due to security concerns.
The ban on these products does not apply to private businesses or regular consumers in China. The move comes after the US government banned China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) from exporting fabrication equipment to make certain chips in China.
China had earlier outlawed the use of iPhone devices in official facilities. Citing security concerns, it has also prohibited using Micron Technology products for key infrastructure projects.
The US government prohibited the sale of certain Nvidia AI GPUs to China in late 2023. Instead, Nvidia has created AI chips, the H20, that are especially designed to abide with the export regulations set down by the US government. Early in 2024, the business began accepting preorders for the H20 chips. Large-scale shipments of those AI GPUs tailored to China are anticipated to start in the second quarter of 2024.
The European Union (EC) is looking into possible violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by Apple, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. In order to make sure Apple and Alphabet abide by the DMA’s guiding guidelines, the EC will look into their compliance with the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The DMC’s regulations, which permit users to view choice screens, modify default settings, and uninstall programs, are also being probed against Apple.
In addition to being looked at for DMA violations, Google Search is being examined to see if its search results give fair access to other companies rather than giving preference to Alphabet’s services. We also look at Meta’s decision to provide ad-free membership plans for its Facebook and Instagram networks in Europe.
The DMA violations of Google Search are also being looked into, with an emphasis on whether or not Google’s search results give fair access to other companies rather than giving Alphabet’s services preference. We also look at Meta’s decision to provide ad-free membership plans for its Facebook and Instagram networks in Europe.
The European Commission is also gathering information for further investigations, such as analyzing Apple’s pricing model for granting access to other app stores on iOS devices in Europe and analyzing the benefits of Amazon’s online store for its own goods. Additionally, the EC is asking Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple to preserve any records pertaining to DMA compliance.