The contracts between the two companies will begin in February. Including only iCloud accounts in China, this contract will not affect iCloud accounts registered outside the territory of one of the world's largest countries.
Apple has confirmed that both companies will have access to data stored on their cloud servers. GCBD is a company owned by the provincial government of Guizhou in southern China.
China became one of the countries that require foreign companies to submit data related to operations in China to the government. Apple also confirmed that all related iCloud data will be transferred from 28 February.
Consumers living in China and not willing to use iCloud operated by GCBD have the option to delete their iCloud account. Meanwhile, Apple has started sending messages to iCloud users in Chinese territory.
This Apple Message contains notice that data stored on iCloud, including photographs, videos, documents and consumer backups must comply with the iCloud terms and conditions operated by GCBD. While iCloud service will not be affected by the change.
However, Apple again confirms to its customers that the privacy of user data is the main focus, both for Apple, and for GCBD. So Apple can guarantee there will be no security hole made to his system.
Despite having questions about Apple's commitment to data privacy, internet users in China voiced their concerns over the odds of monitoring user data and interacting with the Chinese government.
