Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple Music Caught Censoring Pro-Democracy Music In China (gizmodo.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the doing-business-but-at-what-cost dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: Chinese journalists and netizens recently found that Apple Music's Chinese streaming service censored a song by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung that references the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, an extremely politically sensitive topic for the Chinese Communist Party. The incident's 30th anniversary is coming up in June. Sophie Richardson, the China Director at Human Rights Watch, called the reported move "spectacularly craven." The Tiananmen protests are emblematic of a larger pro-democracy movement in China that was snuffed out by the Beijing government. Thousands of protesters were killed, but the exact numbers have themselves been censored by Chinese government officials.

Apple Music has also reportedly censored Anthony Wong and Denise Ho, two pro-democracy singers. After being noticed by Chinese netizens, the removals were reported by the Hong Kong Free Press and The Stand, two Hong Kong-based news outlets. Taiwan News also reported the censorship of Cheung's "Ren Jian Dao." The music remains available on Apple Music's North American products. "By removing a song referring the Tiananmen Massacre, @apple is actively participating in the Chinese Communist Party's agenda of scrubbing the colossal violations it has committed against the Chinese people from collective memory and rewriting history," tweeted Yaqiu Wang, a Chinese researcher with Human Rights Watch.

4 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Liberals = shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Nope, the left is the censorship movement.

    I like the "both sides are equally bad" arguments from liberals. Its them finally admitting liberals are shit and they know it. They use the "both sides are equally bad" to justify them staying liberal even thought they know it is shit.
    Other great liberal positions:
    Support KKK member as VA gov
    Support serial rapist as VA lt. gov
    Support killing live born babies and calling it abortion
    Support illegals killing US citizens and protect them from consequences like jail or deportation in "sanctuary cities"
    Fight against reducing taxes/regulation that has helped minorities get jobs or paid more
    Lie for 2 years about Russian collusion despite them knowing there was no evidence because they can't argue against Trump policy on merits
    Attempt to remove meritocracy and raise people based on identity politics, then call themselves "Native American" to take advantage so they don't have to work hard
    Censor gays/women/blacks from giving public speeches at Berkley and on Twitter/Facebook/Youtube

    Yea, both are equally bad. Only problem is only liberals are promoting legalizing killing live born babies.
    Liberals = shit and now you know it and admitted it.

    1. Re:Liberals = shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Only read your first sentence. There were no ethnic slurs, you lied because you can't help but be shit.

      Look back over last 4 years and see EVERY liberal calling me a racist, bigot, homophobe and you not ONCE calling them out.
      You are also shit. The DNC/liberals ARE the party of the KKK (see gov of VA) there is no debating it. You don't like being called shit or a racist, then don't support the KKK.
      Don't support killing live born babes, don't support illegals killing US citizens and calling us racists for saying that is a bad stance. It did happen, San Francisco is PROTECTING the illegal alien that killed Kate Stynley and the DNC in Congress REFUSES to pass a law that might prevent it happening again.

      This asshole calls out one side for pointing out his guys are shit and giving specific examples of why, but he gives a pass for years of name calling from him and his buddies.
      Like I said... Liberals = shit

  2. Caught dealing in China in the first place by tepples · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "An American international company CAUGHT following/respecting local laws in a country they do business!!!"

    Could be rephrased:
    "An American international company CAUGHT doing business in the first place in a country where local law requires violating human rights!!!"

  3. When I lived in China there were the 3 T's and X by Hasaf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The Three T's and X were: Tibet, Tiananmen, Taiwan, and Xinjiang. It was made clear that we (the Westerners) had no knowledge or opinions on these topics. As such we have nothing to say about them.

    One day a new assistant asked me about Tiananmen. I asked her what she knew. She told me that her history teacher told her that it was a beautiful park in Beijing where people fly kites. Her grandfather had told her something much more in line with what those of us who watched it life on TV saw.

    I was not entirely sure about her at that point, so my answer to her was, "you should honour your grandfather."

    She laughed and said, "that is so Chinese." However, she also understood my answer.