New Site Exposes How Apple Censors Apps in China (theintercept.com)

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New Site Exposes How Apple Censors Apps in China (theintercept.com)

Posted by msmash on Friday February 1, 2019 @04:45AM from the closer-look dept.

A new website exposes the extent to which Apple cooperates with Chinese government internet censorship, blocking access to Western news sources, information about human rights and religious freedoms, and privacy-enhancing apps that would circumvent the country's pervasive online surveillance regime. The Intercept: The new site, AppleCensorship.com , allows users to check which apps are not accessible to people in China through Apple's app store, indicating those that have been banned. It was created by researchers at GreatFire.org, an organization that monitors Chinese government internet censorship. In late 2017, Apple admitted to U.S. senators that it had removed from its app store in China more than 600 "virtual private network" apps that allow users to evade censorship and online spying. But the company never disclosed which specific apps it removed -- nor did it reveal other services it had pulled from its app store at the behest of China's authoritarian government.

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Nonstop drumbeat of "China is screwing you" by Seven+Spirals · 2019-02-01 04:50 · Score: -1, Troll

I'll vote for anyone who will cruise-missile those fucking container ships.
1. Re: Nonstop drumbeat of "China is screwing you" by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:19 · Score: 0
  
  I am a little disappointed my poetry app is not updating
2. Re:Nonstop drumbeat of "China is screwing you" by jellomizer · 2019-02-01 07:00 · Score: 2
  
  In what direction are they going?
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Non-News? by Dru+Nemeton · 2019-02-01 04:50 · Score: 2, Informative

This seems to be the price any company pays for doing business in China. How is this news?
1. Re:Non-News? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:45 · Score: 0
  
  I’m more interested in which apps are censored in USA. The Chinese apps are great and I often switch to a China billing address to get them.
  For example Wangyi Music — same as Spotify, plus lyrics for $1/ month
2. Re:Non-News? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 06:28 · Score: 0
  
  I’m more interested in which apps are censored in USA.
  Mildly pornographic stuff?
  Always amusing to watch an American movie like this: Husband comes home, catches wife in bed with a lover. As expected, he chase them through the house. As they get out of bed, both has plenty of underwear on, so they could not possibly have any kind of sex. See the same in an European movie, they'd be naked. Possibly shielded by furniture most of the time - but not all the time. A glimpse of nudity is not that special.
3. Re:Non-News? by saloomy · 2019-02-01 07:33 · Score: 1
  
  What I dont get is how VPN apps are meant to work? iOS has its own VPN connection tool right there in settings. In China, does that VPN option go away?
  Anyone could spin up a micro instance in any AWS (or any other cloud) and VPN their way anywhere.
  Maybe I am ill-informed, but I use that all the time when traveling internationally.
4. Re:Non-News? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 08:35 · Score: 0
  
  This seems to be the price any company pays for doing business in China. How is this news?
  Because... Apple.
  Nothing else is necessary as far as "motive" to the Apple-Hating Slashtards.
How would it be ... by CaptainDork · 2019-02-01 04:59 · Score: -1, Flamebait

... if China were allowed the same courtesy of imposing their views on the West? Countries are sovereign and get to run their places as they see fit
This is very similar to"freedom of religion," whereby Christians inject their dogma into places where they are not welcome.
When in Rome ...

--
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
1. Re:How would it be ... by BringsApples · 2019-02-01 05:22 · Score: 0
  
  China, as a country, has the ability to make it's own laws. These laws can be based on ...whatever the people in that society allow. In this case, the country (China) has decided that privacy for it's citizens allows for to much riffraff, and it's (privacy is) basically illegal from the standpoint of internet access. So in order for Apple to do business in this country, they have to make adjustments for their laws.
  
  No one is the bad guy here.
  
  --
  Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
2. Re:How would it be ... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  "It is own laws"
3. Re: How would it be ... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:35 · Score: 0
  
  I vote we do away with apostrophes all together. No big deal if some are unable to parse the intended meaning.
4. Re:How would it be ... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 06:59 · Score: 1
  
  These laws can be based on ...whatever the people in that society allow.
  
  ...whatever the people in the ruling political class allow. The bad guys here are obvious. That is what this discussion is ultimately about. Freedom of speech, and the total lack of it in China.
5. Re:How would it be ... by CaptainDork · 2019-02-01 11:18 · Score: 1
  
  "Freedom of speech," is in the American constitution.
  China doesn't fall under that jurisdiction, right?
  
  --
  It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
6. Re:How would it be ... by CaptainDork · 2019-02-01 11:20 · Score: 1
  
  Are there any bad guys here?
  
  Apple Will Store Russian User Data Locally, Possibly Decrypt on Request: Report
  
  --
  It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
7. Re:How would it be ... by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-05 17:17 · Score: 0
  
  "No one is the bad guy here."
  Tell that to the Ulghurs...
Leave societies alone by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 04:59 · Score: 0

Why bother and impose your way of life or perversion on other people
Does the list include Alex Jones? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:05 · Score: -1

It's not like Apple never pulled anything at the "request" of our government before...
Banned vs Unavailable? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:11 · Score: 0

As someone who hasn't read the article, I'm curious to know how they differentiate between an app which has been banned against the developer's wishes, and an app that the developer has decided to not make available in China for their own reasons?
Why are you so stupid? by LazarusQLong · 2019-02-01 05:16 · Score: 1, Funny

Do you not understand that if you want to do business in country A, then you MUST obey the laws that Country A has in place? Is that so difficult?

--
"Governments have been dominated by the corporate entities and citizens have ceased to matter in public policy" true in
1. Re:Why are you so stupid? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:38 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  One always has the choice to stick with principles and _not_ do business in a nation when required to directly assist them in actions that go against those (significant, critical) principles in order to do so. Likewise, us knowing about this allows us to decide not to support said company as well.
2. Re: Why are you so stupid? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:45 · Score: 0
  
  My guess is this is an attempt to highlight the apps that authoritarians dislike. While it may be easy to guess which ones, this is an actual ruling party taking actions. Good data for both those who wish to protect against, or embrace, similar strategies.
3. Re:Why are you so stupid? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  Well, that's bullshit. We should use the internet to tear down the borders and destroy the tyrants. I'm still hoping we find a way to circumvent the service provider to make censorship impossible.
4. Re: Why are you so stupid? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 05:49 · Score: 1
  
  Do you not understand that if these companies wanted, they could refuse to do business with China, forcing China to change its laws if it wanted that business's services?
  If Western business refused to do anything with China until they resolved their human rights issues, then the Uighur genocide wouldn't be happening.
  Instead, we, the rest of the world, seem to be perfectly ok with China rounding people up into concentration camps, as long as those people are Muslim.
  Hail the almighty dollar.
5. Re:Why are you so stupid? by SuricouRaven · 2019-02-01 06:03 · Score: 1
  
  You can try. Physics is against you on that one - long-range radio communications are actually pretty easy to set up, but only if you are willing to accept poor reliability and pitiful bitrate. I can talk to Russia from the UK most days if I want to - at 31bps. That's bits per second. Not kilobits. Still, if you want to mess around with something more local, I've some pretty good designs and software for building a piratebox if you want it.
6. Re: Why are you so stupid? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 06:32 · Score: 0
  
  Except China would not change its laws. If it came to that, they would just go with native Chinese computer services that supported their govt's policies, as they currently do for many things already.
  It's just implementing IT services, not nuclear science. Wait a minute, they know that too!
  It wouldn't bother me much were it not for Apple's loud, sanctimonious posturing on social issues. Clearly, they don't give a terribly big shit. All they really care about is money and if helping a communist government control its people is the terms of the deal, oh well!
7. Re: Why are you so stupid? by Darth · 2019-02-01 08:57 · Score: 2
  
  the only way that would be feasible is if it were an international law and the entire world boycotted china as a market for those products. otherwise, a company boycotting china is just giving a market of 1 billion people to their competitors.
  
  --
  Darth --
  Nil Mortifi, Sine Lucre
8. Re: Why are you so stupid? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 22:14 · Score: 0
  
  Like UN sanctions and such, oooh, as if those ever work.
TRANSLATION!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 07:19 · Score: 0

"Look (US) people!!! How EVIL APPLE following local laws in foreign countries!!! Why EVIL APPLE not trying to fight against governments of other countries when doing business in there? Why EVIL APPLE not behaving like a SJW everywhere? Protest EVIL APPLE!!!"
Outside the Garden by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 07:33 · Score: 0

Apple censors all apps that could let the users escape Apple's walled garden. We just had an article about Apple censoring Facebook and Google because they had the audacity to let people use their phones outside the walled garden.
1. Re:Outside the Garden by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 08:42 · Score: 0
  
  Apple censors all apps that could let the users escape Apple's walled garden. We just had an article about Apple censoring Facebook and Google because they had the audacity to let people use their phones outside the walled garden.
  Wow!
  That's the FIRST TIME a Slashdotter has DEFENDED FaceBook and Google's PRIVACY VIOLATIONS!!!
  The Hate is strong in this one...
Not a compreensive list by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-01 09:50 · Score: 0

But the company never disclosed which specific apps it removed
Neither did this website.
It seems to me that having both whatever the have now and an actual list would be much better.
If you look for whatsapp, the app itself is available, but "stickers for whatsapp" is not. I don't think this was a case of censorship.
A list of vpns and blocked apps would give us better understanding.
Not all VPNs banned... by found404 · 2019-02-01 15:06 · Score: 2

Typing VPN into the form discloses that 'Lantern VPN' by Beijing Qimengjialu Technology Co., Ltd is NOT banned. Every other VPN is either banned or unavailable. Good way to test which apps/companies are direct extensions (or an integral arm) of the Chinese Government, although anyone doing business there (including Apple) is directly serving the government.
Apple, for example, provides unfettered access to their datacenters (phones, images, uploaded FaceID, messages, Geo Location, etc). They are probably serving the government much more than Beijing Qimengjialu Technology Co.