BlackRock has told employees to leave their work devices at home when traveling to China.
Under a new policy rolled out last week, staff are now banned from bringing company-issued laptops, iPhones, or iPads into the country whether for business or personal trips.
Instead, they’ll be given loaner phones that don’t connect to BlackRock’s internal network, even via VPN.
The rule change follows mounting concerns over data security.
US officials and cybersecurity experts have warned that Chinese authorities can remotely extract data from foreign devices without notice.
In some cases, travelers have had their phones or laptops searched or even temporarily confiscated, a trend that’s made many multinationals uneasy about sending staff into the country without strict precautions.
What’s behind BlackRock’s move?
BlackRock’s new travel restrictions come on the heels of similar moves by Wells Fargo, which recently halted all employee trips to China.
That decision followed reports that a senior banker, Chenyue Mao, had been barred from leaving the country as part of a local criminal investigation.
China’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Mao was subject to a travel ban tied to an ongoing legal case.
Around the same time, a US government employee was also reportedly prevented from leaving China raising fresh alarms in Washington and heightening already-tense relations with Beijing.
For BlackRock, the shift adds a layer of complexity to doing business in China, where it manages a local mutual fund and runs a wealth management joint venture with China Construction Bank.
Staff involved in overseeing those operations must now adhere to strict rules around data access and device usage.
While these measures are increasingly common across the financial industry, trade groups like the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association acknowledge they’ve made compliance more expensive and internal oversight harder to manage.
Tighter rules around data access and travel are just the latest flashpoints in the growing tech and trade standoff between the US and China.
At the heart of the tension is a deepening mistrust fueled by concerns that Chinese AI firms like DeepSeek may be backing Beijing’s military and intelligence efforts.
That unease isn’t just limited to high-level policy. In the US, apps like TikTok are still facing an uncertain future as lawmakers weigh privacy concerns against political pressure.
For global businesses, it all adds up to a complex and shifting landscape, where national security fears are starting to reshape everyday decisions about technology, partnerships, and even where employees can travel.
Why it matters to you?
The move by BlackRock to restrict employee device use in China goes beyond a simple security tweak as it reflects the growing unease global companies are feeling as tensions rise between the West and Beijing.
For anyone who travels, works in finance, or simply relies on their phone or laptop overseas, it’s a wake-up call.
The message is clear: if you’re carrying sensitive data into certain parts of the world, you could be putting it and yourself at risk.
This isn’t just about cybersecurity anymore. It’s about how global business gets done in a world where political lines are starting to shape digital behavior.
For companies, that means more red tape, higher costs, and tighter controls. For individuals, it’s a reminder to think twice before logging in abroad.
What was once routine business travel now carries real implications for privacy, security, and even market stability.
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