Tech giant Apple Inc denied its iPhone's personal location information or the "location tracker" poses a security risk to the Chinese government which alleged that the software has the ability to leak state secrets as well as identify the day to day activities of its customers.

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In a report, Apple allayed the fears of its Chinese clients saying that the personal location information is locked and stored only on the iPhone which has a user password and cannot be accessed by third parties.

Apple issued the statement a day after the China state-run television network, China Central Television, alleged that the location tracker is capable of collecting data that can be used in leaking "state secrets" and conducting spying activities on the Chinese government.

Apple, for its part, went on the defensive and posted its assurance on its Chinese website saying that it has never, in any way, worked with any government agency from any country to conduct nefarious activities in any of their products and services.

Apple said its tracking location is aimed at guiding the user in his or her whereabouts and is used mostly when driving to assist the driver in traffic. The software can be turned off at any time.

Apple acknowledged the timely discussion of CCTV on its iPhone software being a "security risk" saying that educating the customers is a very important matter and that the company will do everything to protect the privacy and data of its Chinese  customers.

Facebook, Google Inc, Microsoft Corp., and Apple are some of the U.S. technology giants that have been highly criticized by China state-run media over their alleged participation in cyberspying and hacking activities directed on the Chinese government.

Reports from Chinese commentary microblogs said the four US companies allegedly connived to conduct spying activities against China.

Amid the escalating tension between the two countries over cyberspying and hacking allegations, five Chinese military officers were arrested and charged last month for allegedly hacking the computers of the US military and several American companies.

Recently, a Chinese executive was arrested and charged with industrial espionage after allegedly hacking into the computers of aviation companies in the United States and stealing vital information.

The CCTV commentary came after China ordered its three state-owned telecommunications carriers to slash marketing expenses because they apparently overspent on ads for devices such as the Apple handset.

TagsUS, iPhone, espionage, spy, us china, spying, cyber spying