China To bar Symantec, Kaspersky Anti-virus: report
China's procurement agency recently told government departments to stop buying antivirus software from Symantec and Kaspersky Lab over security concerns, according to a Chinese media report.
The state-controlled People's Daily reported the news early Sunday saying that the government's procurement agency "has excluded Symantec & Kaspersky" from a list of security software suppliers.
In an official Tweet, People's Daily said that government procurement office had approved the use five anti-virus software brands, all from China: Qihoo 360 Technology Co, Venustech, CAJinchen, Beijing Jiangmin and Rising.
Both Symantec and Kaspersky are investigating and engaging in conversations with Chinese authorities about this matter.
Other U.S. firms including IBM and Microsoft have encountered challenges in China since Snowden began leaking documents about U.S. surveillance programs last year.
Seperately, China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) announced that Microsoft should not obstruct an anti-trust investigation by Chinese regulators.
The SAIC has questioned Microsoft's lawyer, Deputy General Counsel Mary Snapp, who was at the regulator's offices on Monday, a spokesman for the SAIC said.
Last week, the SAIC said it was formally investigating Microsoft for breach of anti-trust rules and had raided four of the software firm's offices in China.
Microsoft has been suspected of violating China's anti-monopoly law since June last year in relation to problems with compatibility, bundling and document authentication, the SAIC said last week.
In an official Tweet, People's Daily said that government procurement office had approved the use five anti-virus software brands, all from China: Qihoo 360 Technology Co, Venustech, CAJinchen, Beijing Jiangmin and Rising.
Both Symantec and Kaspersky are investigating and engaging in conversations with Chinese authorities about this matter.
Other U.S. firms including IBM and Microsoft have encountered challenges in China since Snowden began leaking documents about U.S. surveillance programs last year.
Seperately, China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) announced that Microsoft should not obstruct an anti-trust investigation by Chinese regulators.
The SAIC has questioned Microsoft's lawyer, Deputy General Counsel Mary Snapp, who was at the regulator's offices on Monday, a spokesman for the SAIC said.
Last week, the SAIC said it was formally investigating Microsoft for breach of anti-trust rules and had raided four of the software firm's offices in China.
Microsoft has been suspected of violating China's anti-monopoly law since June last year in relation to problems with compatibility, bundling and document authentication, the SAIC said last week.
