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iGeneo

macrumors demi-god
Jul 3, 2010
1,388
2,589
I'm surprised they allowed a police tracking app on their store in the first place.

Seems like a human rights violation of the police.

Yup.. Exactly. Apple made a mistake by allowing it in the first place. Making the correction wasn't easy.

But of course... the keyboard warriors here will disagree. Problem is, they are just all talk. If they truly despised Apple for this, they would stop supporting Apple and leave the eco system immediately
 

iKrivetko

macrumors 6502a
May 28, 2010
652
551
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!
As if those would never dance to China's tune.
 
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iGeneo

macrumors demi-god
Jul 3, 2010
1,388
2,589
Tracking? You mean like a human voluntarily sharing information about a PUBLIC servant to another human? Seriously? You find that dangerous?
And this is acceptable?

"The app displays police locations and we have verified with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau that the app has been used to target and ambush police"
 

Donnation

Suspended
Nov 2, 2014
1,686
2,083
How about protesting by not buying any more Apple products instead of burning the existing ones. Apple couldn’t care if someone smashes the iPhone that they bought some time ago. Let’s see what happens when Americans decide to buy products of a company that gives a damn about human rights - Samsung, HTC, or Sony.

Dude, please. Samsung's decision to move manufacturing out of China had absolutely ZERO to do with human rights. It had everything to do with the rising costs of manufacturing there and being able to build their phones cheaper elsewhere, like in Vietnam and India. When Samsung stops selling phones in China out of protest for human rights please get back to me.
 

centauratlas

macrumors 68000
Jan 29, 2003
1,824
3,770
Florida
How would you feel if you and your workmates were the ones being tracked?

You mean like EVERYONE in China is being tracked and the people of Hong Kong want to try to avoid? Or is it only the socialists/communists that are allowed to do the tracking?

How everyone in China has a social score on how well they toe the line everywhere which then stops them from being allowed to buy a plane ticket etc?
 
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Jsameds

Suspended
Apr 22, 2008
3,525
7,987
You mean like EVERYONE in China is being tracked and the people of Hong Kong want to try to avoid? Or is it only the socialists/communists that are allowed to do the tracking?

No, this isn't right either.

So you agree the app should be removed as it's clear you disagree with the implications?
 
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baryon

macrumors 68040
Oct 3, 2009
3,880
2,941
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.
 

miniyou64

macrumors 6502a
Jul 8, 2008
749
2,690
And this is acceptable?

"The app displays police locations and we have verified with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau that the app has been used to target and ambush police"

Can you prove that? That’s so convenient of an accusation to make when the videos of police actually abusing the protesters are uh, everywhere...
 

cfurlin

Suspended
Jun 14, 2011
396
770
Ask Tim Cook what he thinks human rights are. He will show you a rainbow watch band.
Hey, as long as you keep making false gestures of acceptance toward the alphabet soup people, they’ll keep buying your products.

Selling is the goal. Everything else is a means to that end.
 
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manni

macrumors regular
Mar 17, 2010
145
490
Absolutely pathetic from Apple. It confirms every negative stereotype people have suggested about Tim Cook.

He is happy to grandstand and virtue signal on twitter about whether illegal immigrants should be deported from America or about bathroom laws for transgender people. But an actual tyranny, one currently engaged in ethnic cleansing and crushing peaceful political dissent? Ah, Cook pauses, they build our stuff cheap and it's a big market... best not rock the boat.

There is an argument to be said for businesses to just concentrate on making money and have the government regulate them. Fine. But Cook must now forever be howled down with laughter and contempt every time he virtue signals on twitter. He has a choice and he is letting Apple side with tyrants trying to crush democracy and protest.

China is a brutal, blood soaked dictatorship. Read up about the Uighurs if you want to see their latest crimes. People like Cook often like to ask things along the lines of "what would you have done at a moment of great moral importance in the past?" Well, under Cook the answer is obvious. Money would come first. If he is happy to bow down to the Chinese government today then why would anyone believe he would have done anything else during, for example, the 1930s with the fascist governments? Think of all the noise made in the 1980s by people boycotting South Africa... yet what were they even buying from there in the first place? Easy to boycott things you don't need. Last year Cook was paid $136 million. Much of Apple's profits come from them keeping manufacturing costs down by building in China. In fairness to him how many of us would uphold principles about freedom if our mouths were being stuffed with that much gold? But he should never virtue signal on twitter again.
 
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sirozha

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2008
1,927
2,327
Yup.. Exactly. Apple made a mistake by allowing it in the first place. Making the correction wasn't easy.

But of course... the keyboard warriors here will disagree. Problem is, they are just all talk. If they truly despised Apple for this, they would stop supporting Apple and leave the eco system immediately
Think Waze. It’s a police tracking app.
 

manni

macrumors regular
Mar 17, 2010
145
490
Oh look. Good ole free speech Apple at it again. I guess they didn’t just stop with InfoWars like everyone said? Huh.

Well put. As Chomsky said: "If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech for precisely the views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech." It should have been blindingly obvious that when big tech decided to start silencing people - yes some of whom really were nutty, others were simply very conservative - that they would sooner or later abuse that power.
 
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