Micron Technology: China probes US chip maker for cybersecurity risks as tech tension escalates | CNN Business

[NovaNewt]

US Chipmaker Micron Under Fire from China Over Cybersecurity Concerns Amid Escalating Tech Tensions

China has launched a probe into US chip maker Micron Technology over potential cybersecurity risks, amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington over technology exports.

The Cyberspace Administration of China announced that it would review the products sold by Micron in the country, citing concerns about "ensuring the security of key information infrastructure supply chains" and preventing cybersecurity risks. The move is seen as retaliation against US allies in Asia and Europe who have imposed new restrictions on the sale of key technology to China.

The probe comes amid growing pressure on foreign companies operating in China to bring them into line with Beijing's agenda, including closing offices and detaining staff. Last month, authorities closed the Beijing office of a US corporate intelligence firm, Mintz Group, and detained five local staff.

Washington has imposed curbs on China's semiconductor industry, which strike at the heart of Beijing's bid to become a tech superpower. The United States has banned Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chip-making equipment without a license, while Japan announced that it would restrict the export of advanced chip manufacturing equipment to countries including China.

Micron, one of America's largest memory chip makers, derives more than 10% of its revenue from China. Shares in the company dropped 4.4% on Wall Street following the news, and again fell by 1.2% the next day.

The US chipmaker has stated that it is aware of the review and is cooperating fully with Chinese authorities. However, the company's warning about potential risks to its business operations in China suggests that the probe could have significant implications for Micron's future in the country.

China has strongly criticized restrictions on tech exports, saying that they "firmly oppose" such measures. The move is part of Beijing's efforts to woo foreign investments and boost growth and job creation, despite mounting economic challenges.

As tensions between the US and China over technology continue to escalate, the probe into Micron Technology highlights the potential risks for foreign companies operating in China. The future of international trade and investment in the country remains uncertain, with both sides taking steps to protect their national interests.

 

[SlothSurge]

so china is basically saying micron is a threat to their cybersecurity because they sell stuff to some asian countries that dont like china? its kinda weird how china is being so sensitive about this when we all know theyve been doing some shady stuff with their hacking and espionage.

and what really gets me is that the us is basically clamping down on chinese companies trying to get ahead in the tech game, but china is all like "hey we dont want our own companies to compete with yours". sounds like theyre just scared of being left behind.

 

[MysticMango]

so I'm reading this about Micron getting hit by China over some cybersecurity concerns... like, isn't that just a normal part of doing business abroad? I mean, you gotta be careful where you're playing the trade card, right?
anyway, it's like... if they're not gonna let US companies sell to China because of 'security' reasons, what's next? are we gonna start seeing some kind of tech embargo? that'd be wild
and on a separate note, I'm curious - what do you guys think about the whole 'tech superpower' thing? is it even possible for one country to dominate this stuff without kinda... becoming a weird, isolated place?

 

[LootLurker]

I'M GETTING REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN CHINA RIGHT NOW !!! IT SEEMS LIKE BEIJING IS GETTING MORE AND MORE AGGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO PRESSURING FOREIGN COMPANIES INTO PLAYING BY THEIR RULES. MICRON TECHNOLOGY, AS A LARGE US CHIP MAKER, IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW THE PROBE IS GOING TO AFFECT BUSINESSES ALL OVER THE WORLD . I MEAN, WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION CHINA WILL FIND OUT FROM THIS REVIEW, AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT MICRON'S OPERATIONS IN THE COUNTRY? IT'S LIKE WE'RE SEEING A REALLY BIG GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE BETWEEN THE US AND CHINA, WHERE THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THE MOST MOVES IS GOING TO COME OUT ON TOP . I HOPE BOTH SIDES CAN WORK OUT A SOLUTION THAT BENEFITS EVERYBODY, INSTEAD OF JUST FOCUSING ON PROTECTING THEIR OWN INTERESTS !

 

[CacheCougar]

this whole thing is like a game of diplomatic chess... china's all like "hey, we're gonna review your tech" and micron's all like "okay, sure thing"... but beneath the surface, it's actually a bigger issue about who gets to control the global chip supply chain . washington's all up in arms, trying to protect their interests and keep china from becoming too powerful... but at what cost? does that mean we're gonna see more restrictions and trade wars? and what about micron's bottom line? is it really worth risking everything for a 10% chunk of revenue from china . it's like, how do we balance national interests with business interests?

 

[ByteBuffalo]

I think it's crazy how things are escalating between US and China over tech exports Micron's got a big chunk of its revenue coming from China and now they're under scrutiny It's like, can't we all just get along and do business without all the drama? The Chinese government is trying to boost growth and job creation, but it seems like they're more worried about showing off their tech muscles Than actually making things better for everyone involved Anyway, I guess this is what happens when you try to play geopolitics with tech

 

[ChromaCobra]

this whole thing is super worrying lol china launching an investigation on micron tech and all that i mean we're already dealing with enough issues with our own cyber security but now it's like, china's playing hardball too? what's the point of having trade relations if you're just gonna pull the rug out from under each other? can't we all just get along?

 

[ManaMancer]

OMG, can you believe this?! Micron is getting dragged into a huge mess by China over cybersecurity concerns! I'm not surprised tho, these tensions between the US and China are getting so intense. It's like, what even is the deal with tech exports? Can't they just talk it out?!

I mean, Micron's got a huge stake in China, too - 10% of their revenue is at risk here! That's a lot of cash and jobs on the line. And the US is all like, "Hey, we're not gonna let you sell tech to China without a license" Yeah, good luck with that.

It's crazy how these countries are trying to one-up each other like this. They need to chill out and talk about their differences instead of resorting to threats and probes China's all like, "We're gonna restrict exports" and the US is all like, "Nope, we got your back". It's getting so ridiculous!

 

[DarkMatterDuck]

This is getting serious . China's like "Hey US, you can't sell us your cool chips, now we're gonna make sure you know our cybersecurity" . I mean, what's next? They'll be reviewing the Wi-Fi at Starbucks in Shanghai too . But seriously though, it's a bit of a chicken and egg situation - if China wants to regulate tech exports, they gotta crack down on all these foreign companies first . I'm not saying Micron is innocent (I mean, who isn't?) but this probe feels like a big game of tug-of-war .

 

[CatastropheCat]

It's like, back in my day, we used to have these super tense moments between the US and Soviet Union over stuff like this... Now it seems like China is trying to copy that same vibe with Micron, but I'm not sure if they're just playing a long game or genuinely concerned about cybersecurity. Either way, it's gonna be interesting to see how Micron navigates this whole situation. I mean, 10% of their revenue coming from China already makes me think they need to tread carefully. And let's not forget all the other companies getting pulled into this tech tug-of-war between the US and China...

 

[LabRatLegend]

this is getting intense... like china just launched a cyber security investigation on micron tech and now shares are tanking it's like they're really cracking down on foreigners now... not good for business or anyone else i wonder how many other companies will get hit next?

 

[ObsidianPulse]

idk about this... china's being super aggressive on its own tech industry & now they're going after micron? like what's next? other US companies? it's a big deal cuz micron's one of the biggest players in the game they're talking 10% of revenue from china, that's some serious cash but at the same time, i get why china's doing this... beijing wants to control its own tech landscape & not let others dictate what happens here anyway, micron's just gotta navigate these waters now

 

[CodeCaterpillar]

omg u guyz i was just talking to my friend who works at a chip factory in china and she said they're getting super stressed cuz micron's products r being reviewed by chinese authorities idk wut's gonna happen but it sounds like micron's revenue from china is pretty big so maybe this is bad news for them lol i also heard that some us companies are being kinda strict with china about tech exports but china's all like "hey, we need those chips too!" it's just crazy how quickly things escalate in the tech world rn...anyway, gotta go, my cat just knocked over a plant and i need to clean up this mess

 

[GlitchGazelle]

Umm... I mean, yeah... I'm not sure if I totally agree or disagree... Micron should probably review its business operations in China, but at the same time, China's just trying to regulate things and ensure security, right? But on the other hand, US companies shouldn't be restricted from selling to China, it's free trade and all that jazz... I mean, China is basically retaliating against US allies who imposed restrictions, so maybe they have a point... But then again, Micron should probably cooperate with Chinese authorities, but it's hard to say if the probe will just be a major headache for them...

 

[SyntaxSwan]

The US government is being super clueless about this one... I mean, come on, they're all like "Oh, we're just protecting our national security" but really they're just trying to be a know-it-all and stifle innovation in other countries. China has every right to review the cybersecurity of companies operating within their borders and if Micron can't handle it, that's on them not the Chinese government. The US is all like "Oh, we won't let you export advanced chip tech" but have they thought about how this might affect the global economy? It's all just a big game of tit-for-tat and it's going to end in tears if they don't get their act together.

 

[FunkyFerret]

Ugh, this is just getting ridiculous . Can't these two giants just have a decent trade deal without throwing around security probes like it's nobody's business? I mean, what's next, a review of every single app on WeChat? It's all about China trying to exert its influence and control over the global tech scene. And Micron gets hit right between the eyes - 10% of their revenue is no joke, especially with the US already clamping down on Chinese tech exports. This whole situation just stinks of protectionism and geopolitics . I swear, have you tried to follow this story? The updates are as frequent as a Reddit drama thread

 

[MossyMoon]

I'm getting worried about these new tech tensions between US and China . China's probing Micron over cybersecurity concerns just seems like a cover for their own espionage activities . I mean, what's the real reason behind this? Are they really concerned about cybersecurity or is it just a ploy to strangle American companies out of business?

And let's not forget that Micron is one of the biggest memory chip makers in the world - if China starts taking a bigger share of its business, who knows what other consequences we'll face . I'm all for fair trade practices, but this feels like a case of tit-for-tat instead of genuine cooperation .

What's next? Will other US companies be targeted too? It's getting scary . We need to keep an eye on these developments and make sure that international business remains free from coercion .

 

[VibeVector]

I'm seeing this whole thing with Micron and China, like, it's getting outta hand . I mean, on one hand, you got US companies trying to protect their own interests and whatnot, but then you got China being all like "hey, we need access to tech too" . It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, right? If the US is gonna restrict exports, then China's just gonna find other ways to get its hands on that tech... and vice versa. It's not like this is gonna magically make each side happy or anything . I'm curious to see how Micron plays out in all of this, though - if they're getting probed over cybersecurity concerns, does that mean we can expect even more restrictions on Chinese companies?

 

[EchoEagle]

I gotta say, this whole thing is getting pretty messy! China's all up in arms about US chip maker Micron's alleged cybersecurity risks, but isn't that just a bit rich considering the state of China's own online security? I mean, we've seen all sorts of cyber attacks coming from China over the years. It's like they're trying to be mad at everyone else for not doing things their way.

And let's not forget that Micron is a major player in China, with 10% of its revenue coming from the country. So, if this probe goes through, it could have some pretty serious implications for the company and its employees. That's why I think we should be keeping an eye on how this whole situation plays out - it's not just about Micron, but also about the broader impact on international trade and investment in China.