Apple Reportedly Told Apple TV+ Show Creators to Avoid Angering China

[MacRumors]

In the same week that Apple's decision to pull a Hong Kong protest app from the App Store drew heavy criticism, a new report from BuzzFeed News claims the company has asked Apple TV+ show runners to avoid negative depictions of China.

As early as 2018, when Apple's original programming production got underway, company executives reportedly gave guidance to some show creators to "avoid portraying China in a bad light."

According to the news outlet's sources, the instruction was given by Apple software and services VP Eddy Cue, as well Morgan Wandell, Apple's head of international content development.

The attempt to steer content creators away from perceived criticism of China is said to be part of Apple's efforts to stay in its good books and avoid a repeat of April 2016, when the Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television shut down the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores, just six months after they had launched in the country.

The store closures were linked to the release of a controversial movie banned in China that imagines Hong Kong in 2025 with language police, mini Red Guards, radical protest and social alienation rife.

One show maker not connected to Apple told BuzzFeed News that the company's appeasement of Beijing is nothing new in the U.S. movie industry, which China has heavily invested in.

Apple's tip toeing around the Chinese government isn't unusual in Hollywood. It's an accepted practice."They all do it," one showrunner who was not affiliated with Apple told BuzzFeed News. "They have to if they want to play in that market. And they all want to play in that market. Who wouldn't?"

BuzzFeed News also spoke to one app developer who said that getting a phone call from Apple about an issue with China is not uncommon. "It's not a line of communication that would be open to any discussion," said the U.S. technology executive. "They have so much market power in general and they wield that pretty indiscriminately."

Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees on Thursday that the decision to remove the HKmap Live app from the App Store was based on information the company had received that it was being used to target individuals, property, and police, and violated local laws.

Earlier the same day, Apple also removed the app of news outlet Quartz from China's ?App Store?. The news organization said Apple removed its mobile app after complaints from the Chinese government about content in the app that is illegal in China."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Told Apple TV+ Show Creators to Avoid Angering China

 

[scwinsett]

"They have to if they want to play in that market. And they all want to play in that market. Who wouldn't?"

Who wouldn’t? People with human decency that put values above money. **** this sellout, **** corporate greed, and **** the Chinese government.
keep your Tegridy!

 

[Wig321]

Grow a pair apple

 

[FlyingDutch]

I’m the biggest Apple fan out there, but Tim Cook have to leave his position as a CEO immediately. Apple should leave China immediately. China have to be isolated from the rest of the world, until their own population will get rid of that government.

 

[IPPlanMan]

Shame on you Tim and shame on Apple as a whole.

Chinese Blood Money has corrupted you through and through. Disgusting.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I thought South Park was meant to be satire, not a verbatim reflection on what’s happening in the world.

 

[Smith288]

Screw you, Apple.

 

[syklee26]

I wonder if Steve would’ve been this sycophant to China...

 

[Bin Cook]

Scum Cook and scum Cue behaving like scum? Who'd a thunk it.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I thought South Park was meant to be satire, not a verbatim reflection on what’s happening in the world.

I had this exact thought.

 

[niun]

I wonder if Steve would’ve been this sycophant to China...

I'm guessing that's a hard yes.
But Steve never portrayed himself and Apple as the second coming. TC on the other hand ...

 

[bluespark]

This is disgusting, and speaks to the need to break up big tech. As content creation and the means of content distribution are increasingly controlled by the same small group of players, bad things happen.

 

[_Refurbished_]

I thought South Park was meant to be satire, not a verbatim reflection on what’s happening in the world.

South Park is about the realist form of media out there, unfortunately. It’s hilarious because it’s true.

Also, Tim is swine. Always has been, always will be. His corporate keynotes are puke-worthy. Huge hypocrite. Can see through that man like a window into the Apple Store.

This is 2019, though, where shareholders have more power than the government. It’s hard to run a corporation that isn’t terrible in 2019. Look at Bob Iger and Disney. Zero creativity. The company is all about $$$$. Apple is just another victim of a second-rate CEO ruining a company’s values.

 

[nfl46]

Damn! Everyone is afraid of China because of money. Lol. They don’t want to mess their coins up, especially NBA players.

 

[neuropsychguy]

I’m the biggest Apple fan out there, but Tim Cook have to leave his position as a CEO immediately. Apple should leave China immediately. China have to be isolated from the rest of the world, until their own population will get rid of that government.

Sounds great in theory. Where will Apple make their products? They can’t just leave China immediately, it will take years. If Apple angers China, the Chinese government could seize all Apple assets in China. They could completely destroy Apple. Is that better than Apple playing nice while working on their exit strategy? Is leaving better than staying and continuing to have American influence in the country?

 

[niun]

This is 2019, though, where shareholders have more power than the government.

I'm not sure Trump is exactly leading the charge on criticising China in this scuffle.

 

[jimbobb24]

I wonder what all the US corporations would do it China declared homosexuality was against Chinese culture and policy. Would that cross the streams and destroy the universe as we knew it as they couldn’t decide which they should
prioritize.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

This is an example of how silly it is when corporations champion social causes. They only take certain stances in certain regions, and they often contradict themselves. It isn’t just Apple either. They just want you to like them so you buy more wares.

 

[jimbobb24]

Sounds great in theory. Where will Apple make their products? They can’t just leave China immediately, it will take years. If Apple angers China, the Chinese government could seize all Apple assets in China. They could completely destroy Apple. Is that better than Apple playing nice while working on their exit strategy? Is leaving better than staying and continuing to have American influence in the country?

This is a thoughtful point. But I don’t think they are influencing culture - at this point it looks the other way. This is another data point demonstrating that doing business with a pathological totalitarian govt was a bad idea. But if China were to seize assets of Apple overtly it would be the end of their economy. China want totalitarian “markets”. It doesn’t want to be the next Venezuela where it chased all the money away chasing socialism. China already did mass starvation and poverty and the speed at which world wide capital would flee China after something that stupid would be breathtaking. China’s options are also somewhat confined because the social unrest they would face from widespread unemployment as majority of European and US corps relocated would be a huge problem.

 

[57004]

Sounds great in theory. Where will Apple make their products? They can’t just leave China immediately, it will take years. If Apple angers China, the Chinese government could seize all Apple assets in China. They could completely destroy Apple. Is that better than Apple playing nice while working on their exit strategy? Is leaving better than staying and continuing to have American influence in the country?

Who says they're even working on an exit strategy? I haven't seen anything other than promises to build the Mac Pro (an insignificant product in terms of volume) in the US, and then backtracking on it.

Looks to me like they're just playing along with China's new role as a world power instead of against it. Wrong move IMO. Yes, if we isolate China on a big scale it's going to hurt us a lot too but in the end it's worth it. Letting China become the biggest world power would be a huge mistake.

 

[Plutonius]

I wonder if Steve would’ve been this sycophant to China...

I think he would be.

Can anyone name a global company that is not pandering to China ?

 

[Sasparilla]

Apple needs to get out of China (production and plan for loosing market access) ASAP as its corrupting their decisions.

The corruption and subversion the Chinese govt is already demanding is unsustainable (Apple exec's need to realize this). Theyll loose a big chunk of their customer base elsewhere. (see South Africa apartheid customer actions in the US / Europe during the 80's)

Wait till the Chinese build up their Navy further and start making hints they might invade Taiwan. That seems likely coming.

 

[57004]

I wonder what all the US corporations would do it China declared homosexuality was against Chinese culture and policy. Would that cross the streams and destroy the universe as we knew it as they couldn’t decide which they should
prioritize.

I don't think so. US companies do massive oil business with countries that have the death penalty for homosexuality.

 

[Plutonius]

Sounds great in theory. Where will Apple make their products?

Apple does not have to make their products in the US but all companies currently manufacturing in China (including Apple) should diversify a majority of manufacturing out of China.

 

[max.ine]

I wouldn’t agree with the underlying reasoning or politics, but this is the only logical decision a company would make if they are focused on revenue. I’m not sure how people here expect Apple to be a serious company and make investors happy while also somehow doing their own thing/making bad business decisions.