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Tim Cook Defends Removal of Hong Kong Mapping App From App Store in Leaked Memo
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Absolutely right. This whole fiasco is a massive mirror (yet another) for us Consumers. Personally, I’ve been trying to look into this Apple mirror for a while now, and only buy into the company when I feel it’s responsible to do so, not just on a whim, but I’m far from perfect, of course. I need to continually ask myself about the ramifications of my consumer decisions, and, in the context of this latest move by Apple, it’s yet another mark against them (context: I relatively-recently been made aware that Google, of all companies, actually has more opt-out privacy options than Apple.).
r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut
"We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws." - Hunter S. Thompson
www.reddit.com
If you’re willing to share, curious to know to which tech platforms you’re switching. I’m presuming you’ve done some research on which companies you’d like to support due to their business practices.
There have been numerous kidnappings, murders and rapes that involved facebook twitter and the like, so why are they still on the app store. You can use any of these apps to target basically anyone you want. He is a hypocrite plain and simple and by the way **** china.
No. It's something that someone who pretends to be liberal would do. Do you not know what the word means?
I think Apple should leave the Chinese market entirely. It would be a painfully process, but China has to be isolated...
Blanket hate towards anyone with a differing opinion is the right wing extremist view these days. At one time they actually thought for themselves, considered NK and Russia hostile and fought for the rule of law with congressional subpoenas, at least when fellatio was involved.
How far they've fallen.
Yeah, and I would agree with your position on this. I am unaware of the policies to which you’re referring that people have expressed outrage (Though I’m sure they exist 😄). Personally, I’ve continued to support Apple because if their stance on the environment, etc., but I’ve dialed back my support in recent years because of newer things I’ve learned, and this latest event is yet another factor in that decision.
Just as Google slowly abolished "Do No Evil" when they decided to do whatever it takes to make money off its users, Apple too should just drop the facade of being a progressive company. That facade is really just there to sell products. If Tim Cook really believed in human rights and progressive ideals, he'd have done what is right, no matter the financial cost. I'd have respected that.
All of his moralizings are just hot air. He can do it when it is convenient and costs him nothing. He should have just said the truth, "We are pulling the app out because our shareholders would be quite displeased if China cracked down on us".
All of his moralizings are just hot air. He can do it when it is convenient and costs him nothing. He should have just said the truth, "We are pulling the app out because our shareholders would be quite displeased if China cracked down on us".
You feel somewhat superior?Tim Crook the coward.....as he fools millions conveying that he cares about people's rights....Lol
Tell him to visit China's gulag's
The sheep keep making him wealthy buying iphones... "The Collective".
Unsure if Chinese propaganda or an email from Tim Cook.
These companies that turn around and tell Americans how to vote and their stance on political issues are hilarious because they bend over backwards for the Chinese Communists.
You see it with the NBA, Apple, and others. They slam American policies and leaders and turn around and bend over backwards for a government that removes organs from minorities and sterilizes women.
Really re-thinking my commitment to owning Apple devices.
These companies that turn around and tell Americans how to vote and their stance on political issues are hilarious because they bend over backwards for the Chinese Communists.
You see it with the NBA, Apple, and others. They slam American policies and leaders and turn around and bend over backwards for a government that removes organs from minorities and sterilizes women.
Really re-thinking my commitment to owning Apple devices.
While I haven’t abandoned Apple entirely, I am betting huge against AAPL, and I didn’t buy the iPhone 11. Coming from the XS Max, I had always upgraded and sometimes downgraded - trying to get my life switched over to the Note 10 Plus, but it’s difficult. I want the 16.4” MacBook Pro coming out and a new iPad. But I ordered a Razer laptop instead and am sticking with the old iPad.
Trying to reduce my dependence on a company with which I dislike the direction its leadership has taken with products and politics. I would very much like to be China-free as in free from its products, and I think corporate leaders are the only ones capable of shifting manufacturing and shouldn’t just shift to other countries but ensure they’re free countries. Not every country is perfect but there’s no reason to build another communist dictatorship by building all products in Vietnam next. Select India, or any country that has ability to elect own government by the people and freedom of speech and all other things many of us get to enjoy.
Having traveled much of the world, I really see that American consumerism has paid for the modern infrastructure and cities of China on the backs of Chinese citizens who have been bullied by their own government and basically enslaved by the likes of companies from the West like Apple. Don’t go throw all of your Apple products away. Buy them less often and demand better from not just Apple leadership but all of the world’s leaders.
Trying to reduce my dependence on a company with which I dislike the direction its leadership has taken with products and politics. I would very much like to be China-free as in free from its products, and I think corporate leaders are the only ones capable of shifting manufacturing and shouldn’t just shift to other countries but ensure they’re free countries. Not every country is perfect but there’s no reason to build another communist dictatorship by building all products in Vietnam next. Select India, or any country that has ability to elect own government by the people and freedom of speech and all other things many of us get to enjoy.
Having traveled much of the world, I really see that American consumerism has paid for the modern infrastructure and cities of China on the backs of Chinese citizens who have been bullied by their own government and basically enslaved by the likes of companies from the West like Apple. Don’t go throw all of your Apple products away. Buy them less often and demand better from not just Apple leadership but all of the world’s leaders.
We all know that computer are being used for all sorts of criminal activities. For that matter Apple should stop selling iPhones, iPads and Macs.
His rhetoric simply lacks consistency. The fact is that if the benefit of a tech outweighs its negative effect determines its fate. In this case, for Apple it was all negatives as it would put them in confrontation with the Chinese Gov and let’s è honest. It’s not that HKmap has the presence of Facebook or Twitter. So the impact on its image is minimal.
I am really starting to dislike Tim Cook. He looks more and more not like a honest persons were the customer is concerned. I wonder if he is even honest with himself regarding the principles that he strives to promote.
The benefits of a more open system is fully exposed here. App Stores are great, but also carry these kinds of risks. To put it simply,at it’s extreme, customers could be silenced if they do not fit the company political agenda of the day. You see, apps are also a form of expression.
His rhetoric simply lacks consistency. The fact is that if the benefit of a tech outweighs its negative effect determines its fate. In this case, for Apple it was all negatives as it would put them in confrontation with the Chinese Gov and let’s è honest. It’s not that HKmap has the presence of Facebook or Twitter. So the impact on its image is minimal.
I am really starting to dislike Tim Cook. He looks more and more not like a honest persons were the customer is concerned. I wonder if he is even honest with himself regarding the principles that he strives to promote.
The benefits of a more open system is fully exposed here. App Stores are great, but also carry these kinds of risks. To put it simply,at it’s extreme, customers could be silenced if they do not fit the company political agenda of the day. You see, apps are also a form of expression.
A good and well balanced post.
Perhaps the only thing I would disagree with is welcoming Apple moving to India. It's not as bad as China but much of it is not a free country and there is an authoritarian streak to it sadly.
In general it would seem sensible for countries to spread around investment as much as possible so they aren't so easily pushed around as Cook has been this time.
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Very true - especially with so many American sports who have gone super woke in recent years, happy to use the controversies to sell clothes made by children in sweat shops of course.
Is there a large multinational company that is honest I wonder? That says "China is the only place we can get x or y made at a profitable price given what consumers want to pay, the Chinese government murders political dissidents but we have no choice but to bow down to them because we want more money, consumers want lower prices and shareholders want more dividends"? I would have a certain amount of respect for that.
Ultimately we can't trust big business, it is up to the government to regulate and perhaps the time is now to try to re-balance things - if manufacturers in America are hampered by laws on wages, hours, conditions, recycling, energy etc then a tariff on foreign goods from countries where no such costs are applied, to even things out seems fair.
This is what happens when you give China so much power... they should not have relied solely on them for their manufacturer process. There are other options but its capitalism greed.
Sure, Apple cares... Support LGBT all the way, but people being brutalized by their government in HK, nope! We'll kiss China's a$$ over doing what is right. Thanks Tim.
Dictators always play the victim card until everyone is its victim.
I am not questioning your honour, Tim, I am denying its existence.
Tariffs don't actually work very well as primary trade tools. You can use them on the periphery, but thinking a tariff is going to solve your trade problems has no basis in reality. Just look at what is currently going on with China: tariffs have been in effect for multiple years with no effect beyond raising prices for U.S. consumers, spending tens of billions on bailouts for U.S. farmers, and also recently putting the U.S. manufacturing industry into an official recession.
According to the authoritarian HK police who wanted the app removed in the first place. The apps are identical. They do the same exact thing. Waze can be used to target police too. Apple bowed to Chinese pressure. Plain and simple.
It’s a sad day for Apple. I’ve been an Apple fan my entire life since my first Apple II. I’ve been a member of this forum for 12 years. This is the first time in my life I’ve vowed to not spend another dollar with Apple. I had been planning to upgrade my phone and was thinking of subscribing to both their TV and Arcade service. Now I’m going to cancel my Apple Music subscription in favor of Spotify. I really hope Apple reverses course. This is sad.
Tim Cook clearly has no Tegridy. His actions here make all of his other virtue signaling completely null and void.