# China reportedly directs some state-linked groups to remove government Windows 10

_Published Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 7:07 AM EDT · Policy · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

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China's Ministry of State Security has reportedly told some state-linked organizations to remove a customized Windows 10 edition developed for government use, accelerating its planned February 2027 retirement. Bloomberg's sources attributed the directive to data-security concerns, though they did not specify vulnerabilities. The CMIT edition is based on Windows 10 Enterprise and keeps updates and activation inside China. Microsoft said it was unaware of a security incident affecting the product.

## Sources

- [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/china-reportedly-orders-state-agencies-to-uninstall-its-government-only-edition-of-windows-10)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/34An1oWFITX7dPS0btgnao
Published: 2026-08-18T11:07:29.503Z
Story chronology: 2026-08-18T10:11:42.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:06:39.446Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)