The Trump administration and U.S. congressional leaders are voicing concerns over a reported partnership between Apple and Alibaba that would integrate Alibaba-developed artificial intelligence features into iPhones sold within China, according to reports. This scrutiny comes amid escalating U.S.-China tensions, especially around technology sharing and data privacy.
White House officials and members of Congress’s House Select Committee on China have questioned Apple executives directly about key aspects of the arrangement, emphasizing worries regarding user data confidentiality as well as any potential commitments Apple might have made to Chinese regulatory authorities. However, the Apple executives involved in these inquiries reportedly provided limited details, leaving several questions unanswered.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a strongly worded statement criticizing Apple’s apparent lack of transparency. Krishnamoorthi singled out Alibaba as representative of China’s broader military-civil fusion strategy, raising alarm over Apple’s silence and undisclosed commitments.
Notably, Apple has not publicly confirmed the existence of the partnership. All confirmation thus far has come solely from Alibaba. This development adds yet another dimension to Apple’s ongoing struggle to navigate increasingly complex geopolitical dynamics. With tariffs intermittently impacting operations, this latest controversy continues to illustrate the challenging landscape that the U.S.-China relationship presents to major American tech firms.
