Beijing Orders Removal of Government-Only Windows 10 Edition Amid Data Security Concerns

China's Ministry of State Security has ordered some state-linked organizations to uninstall their government-only edition of Windows 10 due to data security concerns. The directive reportedly accelerates a planned retirement that was scheduled for February 2027, which would have been the end of support for the software.

The affected software is a customized version developed by C&M Information Technologies (CMIT), a joint venture between Microsoft and China Electronics Technology Group. This edition is based on Windows 10 Enterprise but has several key features stripped out or modified, including OneDrive and certain native functions. It also keeps updates and activation within China and allows government users to substitute Chinese encryption algorithms for Microsoft's standard cryptography.

The move comes as part of Beijing's efforts to reduce its reliance on foreign software and hardware in government agencies. In 2022, the central government ordered central agencies and state firms to scrap foreign-branded computers entirely. However, it appears that many organizations have yet to comply with this directive, with StatCounter's traffic data showing that Windows still accounts for 87.64% of Chinese desktop web traffic in July 2026.