Apple user ID security under scrutiny in China after reported losses

Apple Inc’s user ID has come under scrutiny in China after users reported ID thefts that resulted in monetary losses on China’s popular online payment platform Alipay, which in turn urged users to adjust their ID security settings and Apple to improve security.

“We’ve seen the problem recently that some users suffered a financial loss through their online payment systems due to an Apple device security breach,” said Alipay in a notice issued on its Sina Weibo account.

“All of your online payment systems (Alipay, WeChat, or bank card) linked with Apple ID face the risks of losing money until Apple solves the breach,” warned the mobile and online payment service of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding.

The statement came after Chinese iPhone users complained that money had been stolen through online payment services as a result of an Apple ID breach. Apple’s Shanghai branch said it couldn’t help users get their money back, according to a report on thepaper.cn.

Alipay said it has repeatedly urged Apple to solve the security problem as soon as possible after finding such breach cases. Apple responded that it has been actively working on the problem.

A Beijing-based analyst told the Global Times on Wednesday that although the reasons for the ID losses could be “complicated,” Apple is obliged to cooperate with relevant departments to investigate the problem and give users reasonable explanations.

“Apple should also improve and update its security level as new features have been developed on the payment platforms. Don’t think that a password will solve all the problems,” said the analyst, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Alipay recommended that its customers who use Apple devices reduce the amount of their passwordfree payments on the premise of convenience for the time being to prevent losses.