Apple Pulls Hong Kong Protest App From App Store Following Chinese Criticism [Updated]

[ilikewhey]

I'm really ashamed of Apple.

Just like the NBA, they cater to an oppressive communist regime all in the sake of business. If China felt offended by any other app, no matter what realm or scope, Apple would also pull that app from the store. Meanwhile, China continues to rip off American products and poke fun at Americans daily without any repercussions whatsoever. If you've never been to China, I encourage you to go and experience this for yourself. You will be just another foreigner. And if you believe for one second that you've been a victim of "discrimination" having lived in the US, I can assure you that discrimination takes on a whole new meaning in mainland China. And I want to emphasize MAINLAND.

A totalitarian regime with the worst human rights violations on record should not dictate what others can and cannot say. HK people have every right to demand freedom from China, as do Taiwan and Tibet. And there's nothing wrong with supporting the Hong Kongese movement.

And let's get something straight, neither Apple nor the NBA offended Chinese people. They "offended" the Chinese Communist Party. The average Chinese citizen has absolutely no idea why the HK protests exist in first place. They've been brainwashed enough to think that it has something to do with Hongkongers being anti Chinese people. Because heaven forbid they know the truth about HK or the Tiananmen Square massacre. Yes, I said MASSACRE.

It's time for Apple to move their business outside of China and stop being ordered around by the CCP and its puppets. Speaking of the CCP, I'm sure there's no shortage of 50 cent army on these forums. So think twice before you engage in a dialog with someone.

they are not dictating, china didn't put a gun to NBA or Apple's head and tell them to do and say, NBA and apple did it out of their own free will. cause they know otherwise they will lose tons of market in china otherwise. should they sacrifice marketshare and piss off shareholders for a battle that they have nothing to gain from?

hk was given back to china after 100 years of british occupation. as far as i see it its a china's own internal affair. these folks in HK knows their days are numbered since china will assume full control by 2047. the most we can do is help them get political asylum to the west. challenging china on something like this is too little too late.

 

[s54]

The problem worth discussing is not which government, China or USA, is the most totalitarian, or whether capitalism or capitalism care for the people; neither is democracy anyway. And If we were waiting from Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Alibaba, etc to save the world then we are doomed - worthy of our fate. I am too old to naively believe in white knights that will stand and fight for the good cause. I don't feel bad for these poor multibillion multinational companies if it seems like they are trying to balance between countries or systems. They are PART of the system, in many cases serving it, in other cases leading it. They play the same power game alongside the corrupt governments and organisations that rule the world. They are part of the problem and in many cases the cause of it.

Here we have a closed platform that people can/must not bypass/own or even downgrade, a platform that forces them to install apps only from ONE store; probably in the future forcing media and news only from ONE source as well. And even if Apple conflicts with itself on political and social matters, even if Facebook/Twitter sell away user data every day, even if Google terminates services without any notice, even if Samsung and HP sell million of buggy products, even if Cisco and Intel sell tampered products, people will still make all sort of excuses for them.

I agree with everything you said. Democracy is just another acronym and there are many hidden meanings behind it.

But at the end of the day, we may openly talk smack about our government or the president on MacRumors, without being imprisoned or sent off to a labor camp, or worse. Chinese people cannot.

 

[T Coma]

Last week's South Park episode just gets more and more relevant.

Relevant, and concise. I haven't been watching much lately, but it seems they are due for an Apple episode, if they haven't done one already.

 

[neutralguy]

Frightening to think about the power China has over the United States. With all the debt they own along with the power over politicians and corporations they are truly the real superpower.

Only person who stands upto China is Trump. And I feel so ashamed that our companies are just bunch of *******.. and wag their tail in front China because it has a market?

 

[Rocko99991]

Free speech is dead

'We believe in Free Speech*!'

*unless the speech impacts our bottom line in anyway, offends the our company CEO's or is just not in line with our way of thinking.

 

[Lakailb87]

Sigh.. so much for Apple going on about supporting human rights.

For Apple, money > human rights

 

[neutralguy]

Supporting riots is not a freedom people need.

wait until your freedom or rights are in danger..
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With all the outrage expressed here, how many are going to vote with their wallet and send a message to Apple by not purchasing their products and services?

Yeah, that's what I thought. Talk about principles and hypocrisy...

I agree. All these criticism and a new iPhone comes, these guys are up midnight ordering them. China got apple by balls and apple has got it's fan base by same..

 

[punchwalk]

I'd like to take a second to remind everyone expressing their outrage/disgust/disappointment that the only thing you can do is vote with your wallet. All the complaining in the world won't make a speck of difference as long as you keep lining up and handing over your money.

 

[brinary001]

I don’t engage in #cancelculture. Criticism and ridicule through free speech are much more effective.

I don't either. And even the people who say they do, whether it's the right bitching about Nike or the left bitching about a chicken sandwich, they're just doing it to feel included in what they think is an actual movement. And at the corporate level, they just do it for marketing purposes.

 

[s54]

they are not dictating, china didn't put a gun to NBA or Apple's head and tell them to do and say, NBA and apple did it out of their own free will. cause they know otherwise they will lose tons of market in china otherwise. should they sacrifice marketshare and piss off shareholders for a battle that they have nothing to gain from?

How is that not dictating?

Since we both agree that this is about money and that they will lose tons of marketshare in China, both NBA and Apple were actually forced to comply. And yes, that's like putting a gun to NBA and Apple's head. How is it not? - Since we both know that money talks and that this is all about money and that money always wins, you can conclude that China is dictating what both NBA and Apple should do.

China is rich. Very rich. They dictate what nearly every company should or shouldn't do, whether right or wrong, that's completely irrelevant.

hk was given back to china after 100 years of british occupation. as far as i see it its a china's own internal affair. these folks in HK knows their days are numbered since china will assume full control by 2047. the most we can do is help them get political asylum to the west. challenging china on something like this is too little too late.

Thanks for the history lesson. I think every level-headed person already knew that. But I fail to see your point.

Did anyone here argue that HK is not part of China? What does that have to do with supporting the HK movement? - Maybe you don't fully understand what the HK people want. They are not anti-Chinese. They are anti-CCP. Big difference.

And just because you feel that this is "China's own internal affair" doesn't mean that others can't voice their opinion on it. There are many so-called "internal affairs" in China, many of which violate simple human rights. Like that of placing all Augers in modern day concentration camps. Any rational being has the right to condone this and speak up on the matter.

 

[neutralguy]

they are not dictating, china didn't put a gun to NBA or Apple's head and tell them to do and say, NBA and apple did it out of their own free will. cause they know otherwise they will lose tons of market in china otherwise. should they sacrifice marketshare and piss off shareholders for a battle that they have nothing to gain from?

hk was given back to china after 100 years of british occupation. as far as i see it its a china's own internal affair. these folks in HK knows their days are numbered since china will assume full control by 2047. the most we can do is help them get political asylum to the west. challenging china on something like this is too little too late.

Great! Now you want the whole HK to move to US? Good job buddy!

 

[StellarVixen]

LOL, bowing to China, unconditionally.

Shame on you, Apple!

 

[MacDaddyPanda]

South Park couldn't be more on point with this one.

 

[brinary001]

I'd like to take a second to remind everyone expressing their outrage/disgust/disappointment that the only thing you can do is vote with your wallet. All the complaining in the world won't make a speck of difference as long as you keep lining up and handing over your money.

Exactly. But they won't do it. Apple (or really any other majorly popular and widely used company) would have to do some pretty heinous **** before people would even CONSIDER abandoning them. I'm talking like a holocaust 2.0 level of evil, and even then I still wouldn't be so sure.

Money ? Is ? The root ? Of all ? Evil ?

 

[1146331]

I'm really ashamed of Apple.

Just like the NBA, they cater to an oppressive communist regime all in the sake of business. If China felt offended by any other app, no matter what realm or scope, Apple would also pull that app from the store. Meanwhile, China continues to rip off American products and poke fun at Americans daily without any repercussions whatsoever. If you've never been to China, I encourage you to go and experience this for yourself. You will be just another foreigner. And if you believe for one second that you've been a victim of "discrimination" having lived in the US, I can assure you that discrimination takes on a whole new meaning in mainland China. And I want to emphasize MAINLAND.

A totalitarian regime with the worst human rights violations on record should not dictate what others can and cannot say. HK people have every right to demand freedom from China, as do Taiwan and Tibet. And there's nothing wrong with supporting the Hong Kongese movement.

And let's get something straight, neither Apple nor the NBA offended Chinese people. They "offended" the Chinese Communist Party. The average Chinese citizen has absolutely no idea why the HK protests exist in first place. They've been brainwashed enough to think that it has something to do with Hongkongers being anti Chinese people. Because heaven forbid they know the truth about HK or the Tiananmen Square massacre. Yes, I said MASSACRE.

It's time for Apple to move their business outside of China and stop being ordered around by the CCP and its puppets. Speaking of the CCP, I'm sure there's no shortage of 50 cent army on these forums. So think twice before you engage in a dialog with someone.

This

 

[DevNull0]

So the ultimate social justice warrior Timmy Crook is really anti-democracy and anti-free speech.

He cannot stop opening his mouth and spewing crap about every issue under the sun, but it's all empty virtue signalling. Because when it comes down to something meaningful, he's got all the integrity of a soap bubble.

 

[1146331]

I'm really ashamed of Apple.

Just like the NBA, they cater to an oppressive communist regime all in the sake of business. If China felt offended by any other app, no matter what realm or scope, Apple would also pull that app from the store. Meanwhile, China continues to rip off American products and poke fun at Americans daily without any repercussions whatsoever. If you've never been to China, I encourage you to go and experience this for yourself. You will be just another foreigner. And if you believe for one second that you've been a victim of "discrimination" having lived in the US, I can assure you that discrimination takes on a whole new meaning in mainland China. And I want to emphasize MAINLAND.

A totalitarian regime with the worst human rights violations on record should not dictate what others can and cannot say. HK people have every right to demand freedom from China, as do Taiwan and Tibet. And there's nothing wrong with supporting the Hong Kongese movement.

And let's get something straight, neither Apple nor the NBA offended Chinese people. They "offended" the Chinese Communist Party. The average Chinese citizen has absolutely no idea why the HK protests exist in first place. They've been brainwashed enough to think that it has something to do with Hongkongers being anti Chinese people. Because heaven forbid they know the truth about HK or the Tiananmen Square massacre. Yes, I said MASSACRE.

It's time for Apple to move their business outside of China and stop being ordered around by the CCP and its puppets. Speaking of the CCP, I'm sure there's no shortage of 50 cent army on these forums. So think twice before you engage in a dialog with someone.

Didn't Timmy say that privacy is a fundamental human right?

Little Timmy doesn't when it comes to anti-communists are human.

 

[0924487]

Tim Cook, you are a coward and a hypocrite. Period, end of story.
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I think the Board Of Directors should remove Tim Cook. Waze is just fine where it is. Then Apple should get serious about moving manufacturing outside of China. Samsung has already declared it is doing so.

You know BoD would vouch for Tim on this as they care about revenue and not some political ideocracy. Apple is a for-profit company, as much as they try to market themselves otherwise.
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Sure..

But no better time than now to support Samsung, HTC or Sony!

Do it! Show your support for those companies today! Put the Apple products in the drawer and show them who is boss!

How about supporting blackberry, it's at least North American...

 

[smulji]

Cook has just lost all his credibility when it comes to human rights advocacy. Why did he fold so easily? Because not only would Apple have lost its Chinese markets, but it would also be severely affected in terms of its manufacturing capabilities in China, had Cook ignored the Chinese demands.

By not having a contingency plan vis-à-vis its manufacturing capabilities outside China, Cook allowed Apple to be strong armed by the Chinese dictatorship.

Incidentally, this has nothing to do with the trade war instigated by Trump. This would have happened even without the trade war. The reliance on the market and the manufacturing facilities of a ruthless dictatorship makes you defenseless of its blackmail. The logistics guru like Cook should have known it. China has just raped one of America’s greatest companies.

This is a new world we are living in as of this morning. China has just learned that they can blackmail everyone, including America. Good on Google for leaving China years ago. Next step? Trump should ban Google from giving its OS to Chinese companies. Let HTC, Sony, and Samsung have Android. Strangle all Chinese smartphone manufacturers by denying them Android licenses.

Great post! Hit the nail on the head. This is what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[burgundyyears]

Tim Cook's welcome to smack his head on the floor to pay homage to the CCP whenever he wants, but at least we all know now Tim "muh principles" Cook is really just empty marketing speak designed to sell more iPhones. When a social movement that seems to be about freedom and human rights increases his profit, he'll embrace it and claim he has deep moral principles that cause him to take a stand. When a social movement that seems to be all about freedom and human rights threatens his profit, deeply held moral principles mysteriously vanish. It's almost like it's just about the money, which is fine and all, but don't pretend it's more than that, Tim.

 

[russell_314]

Make sure to boycott all Chinese products if you really believe they are wrong. I would say post on here telling us about it but that would be impossible

 

[kaneda]

Good Job in helping to oppress people in Hong Kong to fight for their freedom! Apple should move their HQ to China.

 

[Smith288]

Apple's virtue signaling stops at our beaches. People are ACTUALLY fighting for freedom in Hong Kong and apple folds like a cheap suit against communist money. Fakes.

 

[Defthand]

During WWII, in Nazi Germany, lots of companies turned against the regime, while other companies (like Siemens) served it. It was probably a similar situation at some point, tied to financial interests. But at some point you have to make a decision: to be entirely on the government's side, or to be entirely against them. Dictatorships use a "with us or against us" mentality to make as many people join them out of fear as possible. It starts with small things like this, then one day you are directly helping them design gas chambers.

As someone who has lived in an ex-communist country all my life, I have learned that you have to be 100% against the government the moment you start noticing hints of a totalitarian regime. If everyone decides what side they're on right in the beginning then the government never get the power to sway more and more people. It always starts with "Yeah I'll just do this one insignificant thing they want me to do, it's no big deal. At least they'll leave me alone." but soon they are driving tanks over people in the name of peace.

Thanks for the insightful post. Nothing predicts the future better than history.

If you could, what would you advise Apple to do in this situation? After all, the communist revolution was a people's rebellion itself.

 

[citysnaps]

With all the outrage expressed here, how many are going to vote with their wallet and send a message to Apple by not purchasing their products and services?

Yeah, that's what I thought. Talk about principles and hypocrisy...

As I thought. No one.