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Apple Reportedly Disables Its News App In China (nytimes.com)
An anonymous reader writes: When Apple launched iOS 9, it replaced its Newsstand app with Apple News. The software has only been available to users in the U.S., but those who registered their phones in the U.S. had no problem using the app while overseas. Now, the NY Times reports that Apple is specifically disabling the app for users located in China. "Those in China who look at the top of the Apple News feed, which would normally display a list of selected articles based on a user's preferred media, instead see an error message: 'Can't refresh right now. News isn't supported in your current region.' ... Beijing generally insists that companies are responsible for censoring sensitive content inside China. In Apple's case, that would mean it would probably have to develop a censorship system — most Chinese companies use a combination of automated software and employees — to eliminate sensitive articles from feeds."
In Soviet China, news read you!
Totalitarian regime goes hand in hand with the chinese government.
I struggle to see the news.
I would take a more activist approach and load up the phones with Tor, PGP, and all kinds of stuff to subvert Chinese censorship, then have the phones smuggled in via Taiwan.
If the Maoists don't like it, I'd pull ever last assembly line out of the country and tell them where to stick it.
Apple is sitting on 1/3 of a trillion dollars in cash. They can build 100+ factories in any other country they want, and the Chinese wouldn't be able to do shit.
Think Different commercial
1984 commercial
Chinese tend to be very compliant people. When asked about censorship issues, most Chinese will say they appreciate their government insulating them from sensitive information as it makes them feel more comfortable.
Not quite sure you could find a more perfect definition of blissful ignorance than this.
Tim Cook is totally outspoken when it comes to gay rights, but when it comes to censorship in China, he becomes a total wuss!!! Should one be surprised? Wonder whether they recognize gay marriage in China, and whether he supports their policy on gays or not? Maybe if one brought to his notice discrimination against gays in China, that he'd make this a personal cause celeb
...Is to sell computers with the warning that "News is not supported in your region."
Chinese users will figure out how to route around the problem.
Chinese tend to be very compliant people. When asked about censorship issues, most Chinese will say they appreciate their government insulating them from sensitive information as it makes them feel more comfortable.
Of course they are!
One would imagine a good bit of the genetic predisposition towards questioning authority has been bred right out of the populace.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
Those are just 'lifestyle' ads. Similar to the cowboy smoking the Marlboro cigarette.
That is a profoundly racist outlook. It's exactly the expression of a racist point of view.
Of course they will. It's not all that safe to say anything else.
Yes. Because in this case, "localized news" means "doing the Chinese government's censorship for them." That's a principled stance--not the most principled stance, but Apple does need to show a profit.
It shows the Chinese user what he's missing--although this may or may not have been part of Apple's intention. The main thing is this isn't about the phone, it's about where the phone is. When you take it into China, this happens. When you take it out of China, it stops happening. So all phones have the code since any phone might be taken into China (if I'm reading this correctly, it isn't code in the phone performing the check, it's Apple's News servers doing it when the phone asks for News).
moving the factory costs to much so we have to as china says.
Even Mexico is to much for apple
That is a profoundly racist outlook. It's exactly the expression of a racist point of view.
No, it isn't. It is an objective observation.
A long serving totalitarian regime, known for suppression of dissent, would invariably condition generations of its populace to avoid confronting the status quo.
That is why Tiananmen Square was so impressive. And a massacre.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
The software is only available to those who have US based accounts. They can travel the world and the app will still work for those users. The exception is China where Apple is disabling it when US users travel there.
I live in Canada and the app is no where to be seen on my iPhone.
Does Apple's News app in china display a message "the shitty masters you put up with won't let you see real news, BITCHES"? I thought not. Apple is one among many actively propping up that hide bound gerontocracy.
"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." -Lenin. They will also gleefully cooperate with evil bastards.
I'm in the UK and have an iPhone purchased here and a UK-based account. The app appeared on my phone along with the rest of iOS 9.
Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic
Well according to Apple (scroll to the very bottom to see the disclaimer) it is only available to US users. However it was mentioned at WWDC that the UK and Australia would be getting the app as well.
>> A long serving totalitarian regime, known for suppression of dissent, would invariably condition generations of its populace to avoid confronting the status quo.
And you are sure that conditioning has not been enacted upon you, US Citizen?
If you're interested in facts I'll tell you what they are and I'll give you sources - Chomsky on The Big Idea
It just goes along with Apple's corporate slogan: "Evil? We're Okay With That."
I don't think the article is paying attention. Apple already has a system of censorship on IOS, it's one of its core features. They just need to adjust it to Chinese requirements.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
Here's my best advice to Tim Cook: Make Apple as independent of China as possible. Some day the Chinese government will make a demand to which Mr. Cook will not comply (because of his conscience), or can not comply (because of US laws).
What's the worst thing China can do, in response to Apple's refusal? Apple makes most of its money from selling hardware, so the worst thing China could do would be to stop or severely limit Apple's manufacturing in China.
So I recommend that Mr. Cook and Jeff Williams work to find more manufacturing locations outside of Apple (they have a few now), and find more non-Chinese parts suppliers.
They might even want to buy a shuttered factory, and start getting it ready to make Apple products if necessary. It would cost some money, but it would be insurance against the possibility of a severe crimp in manufacturing.
Well, that pretty much sums it up, right? Perhaps Apple should rename the app to... what's Mandarin for Pravda?
5000 years is plenty of time to select. Otherwise dogs.
Dialectician. Archology.
5000 years is plenty time for selection.
Dialectician. Archology.
> The software is only available to those who have US based accounts
Nope, my account is listed in Canada. Always has been. You're wrong.