U.S. Lawmakers Call Apple's Move to Remove HKMap Live App 'Deeply Concerning'

[zorinlynx]

It's comforting to know that despite our country being so sharply divided right now, that at least both sides can agree that being beholden to the Chinese government is bad.

Hopefully something gets done about this.

 

[dan110]

This is very unusual for Congress since they didn't really have a problem with the FBI wanting to put back doors in Apple's software. Interesting. s/

 

[jpn]

the bi-partisan letter that can be accessed through Ron Wyden's site is interesting. thanks for the link.
its amazing to see the actual signatories to the letter. cruz and cotez for starters.

but my take on what is happening with china is:

president xi's initiatives and emerging cult of personality within china has moved at light speed over the past 5 years. so fast that its untypical of china.
he is pushing china faster and faster to consolidating its power it has build up in the world due to its economic strength.
consolidating its influence in africa (ethiopia), se asia (cambodia and myanmar are vessel states to china now), its nine-dash line map, etc.
taiwan has always been the goal - to get it come back within a one country - one system.
but never doubt or underestimate the power of hong kongers.
we see hong kong high school students (even youth around 14 or 15 years of age) in black masks and riot gear. we are witnessing a revolution. it may not appear it as such yet. but chinese regular troops will be patrolling the streets of wan chai and central in order to quell the democratic desires. it will become a city under siege.
and it didn't have to happen like this. its all due to xi's haste. his desire for personal glory within his lifetime.

i also think that apple will decide that in the long term, its own interests and that of china can not be reconciled and apple will begin to decrease the pace of its apples stores opening in china. not yet in 2019, but relatively soon.
tim cook went to beijing this week in order to talk about "corporate responsibility issues".
apple's most basic marketing strategy is that our user data is not for sale and confidential. but already china apple ID uers' data is housed on servers within china (it was a requirement since 4 or 5 years ago).
make no mistake, the time is coming when china's overt subversion of privacy rights will be so in conflict with apple's otherwise global marketing strategies that the two can not hold together anymore.
its not that china is unique in its control desires. its just that china is in a "better" postion to actually implement total control so that is what it is trying to do. eventually other governments will get there as well. its just that china is "better" at it at this stage.

 

[GtrDude]

I'm glad the US Lawmakers are on this and hopefully all the people who came on here backing up Commy Timmy will learn from this too.
But kool-aid is good.

 

[Hieveryone]

I always thought Apple had values, believed in causes, and did the right thing.

Guess China said “shut up and dribble”

 

[macjonny1]

Tim is no less hypocrite than all of us questioning him while buying Apple products. This is the world today.

This is a really dumb argument. That's like saying as a USA citizen you can't criticize the government and go and live in the USA. Does my iphone that I bought two years ago mean I am a hypocrite? We've got some really good critical thinking skills here on this forum folks. /s

 

[SoGood]

Time to call in the Russians again to meddle in US domestic politics... All legitimate now. US politicians and public better not complain this time...

This app has been a key tool for the rioters and it's perfectly right to remove them. In the US, they'd be shot already unless one reads biased and selective reporting US centric media.

 

[BWhaler]

Someone needs to rewatch Steve’s “Marketing is about values” video.

 

[mejsric]

Don't know why it's shocking that Apple caved to to the Chinese government. Everything Apple does is for the bottom line dollar, nothing else. If they lose the support of the Chinese government, they could potentially lose a HUGE marketshare.

not just Apple, Americans companies. And this is to show how powerful Chinese Gov are.

 

[femike]

The blatant hypocrisy and double standards by the US Gov and media are glaring. If a US city had rioters like these, an app such as this would be immediately banned.
These are not protestors these are rioters, injuring people and police, and ransacking public and private property. The US Gov are supporting these rioters with full support of the US media as of part their ongong destabilization program against China, hence the US public opinion are being manipulated by heavily biased stories.

 

[skinned66]

Integrity is all about the price you're willing to pay or forego to maintain it.

Besides, it would just piss off the shareholders, of which Apple upper management are some of the biggest individual shareholders. Top 5 last time I checked. Money talks. Emperor Xi has lots.

 

[dbwie]

If I were Apple, I would reply “once the President of the USA speaks out in support of Hong Kong protesters, we will follow suit.”

 

[Plutonius]

Why bother with sending a letter ?

It's not like Tim will change his decisions if he gets a letter from Congress.

 

[citysnaps]

Agreed … it’s the incessant hypocrisy we hear from so many sanctimonious companies that lecture everyone else about civil rights. God forbid their profits are hurt, because when that happens they immediately cave in. Yes, they have an obligation to shareholders to make money, but cut out the BS hypocrisy. Corporate social activism is out of control.

Look at the NBA with all their self-righteous multi-millionaire players, who trash and accuse the U.S. of being some kind of concentration camp state, but the minute China says keep your mouth shut, they all fall into line like good little Nazis.

No it's not.

Apple's and other US company CEOs have an obligation to take on issues, such as civil rights, in the United States that directly affect the company and its employees.

Apple and other US companies have no business meddling in the political affairs of other countries.

 

[nt5672]

I'm sorry, I seldom agree with Apple or the US government any more, but this is China and Apple wishes to do business there, so Apple has to abide by Chinese government mandates just like it has to abide by US law in the US and Australian law in Australia, etc. It baffles my mind how this is so hard to understand.

 

[yakapo]

It’s just Apple following the local laws even if it’s against their values if they want to do business there.

I don’t get Americans, as long as someone else does it it’s wrong. As long as you do it it’s ok. Just remember when one US agency started to collect airlines check in information like who has selected halal meals on a plane entering the US and things like that. The European airline said its against European data protection laws to pass those information to other agencies. The US said it’s our law so if you want to do business here do what we want. So the airlines did. It’s the local law even if it’s wrong in my eyes.

The same argument was used when people supported Hitler. Mao makes Hitler look like a choir boy.

 

[Glideslope]

I'm sorry, I seldom agree with Apple or the US government any more, but this is China and Apple wishes to do business there, so Apple has to abide by Chinese government mandates just like it has to abide by US law in the US and Australian law in Australia, etc. It baffles my mind how this is so hard to understand.

It's ok. Don't stress over it. This is a philosophical thread, not a reality thread.

 

[omihek]

lol what?! Apple doesn’t “force” you to use iMessage. You are more then welcome to use third party messaging apps that are available, and you argument is nonsensical to say the least. Swords are used to kill people therefore we should ban all knives. Phones are used to make illegal transactions, lets ban all phones. Lol

First, I didn't say Apple forces anyone to use iMessage. It is, however, impossible to remove it from your phone.

Second, I think you missed my point, unless of course I'm missing yours. I'm saying Apple shouldn't ban one app used for crimes (HKMap Live) but not ban another app used for crimes (iMessage). If they want to virtue-signal and ban all messaging apps ever used for crimes, well then I guess there goes all the messaging apps ever. Yes, lol, totally nonsensical to do that, which was exactly my point.

 

[omihek]

iMessage doesn’t make crimes possible, this map app does

Lol what? Neither app makes crimes possible; crime was already possible before the iPhone was ever invented. And neither app makes crimes happen either; criminals make crime happen. You could maybe use the argument that this app makes crimes easier, but then you could still say that about tons of other apps. I could use the Find My Friends app (another Apple app) to see when my friends aren't home and go rob their house. Should every app or device that makes crime easier be banned forever?

 

[whoknows2597]

Tim is nothing but a giant hypocrite

As I previously said multiple times, you guys are the biggest hypocrites. You boast how you care about the police sooooooo much here in the US. What Apple has done in China is exactly that, to protect the police. Just because it’s China, you cry “boo! Free speech is ending thanks to Tim crook!!” yet if it’s here in the US, you will claim that Apple is “anti-police!” and siding with rioters and “the leftists rebels!”

Nothing will satisfy you people. Grow up and stop applying double standards?

 

[boccabella]

There’s only one solution to Apple’s China mess and that is to allow app installation outside the App Store. Of course their monopoly status is more important to them than bad publicity so it won’t happen anytime soon.

 

[ElectricPotato]

Politicians saying they are "concerned and troubled" are the equivalent of "thoughts and prayers". It's a clear signal that no action will follow.

 

[Naraxus]

No it's not.

Apple's and other US company CEOs have an obligation to take on issues, such as civil rights, in the United States that directly affect the company and its employees.

Apple and other US companies have no business meddling in the political affairs of other countries.

But the usual claptrap from you people is that Apple is a global company but I guess that only applies when it makes Apple look good right?

When it makes them look bad it's "apple's a US company.

Your hypocrisy is showing

 

[omihek]

Tim is no less hypocrite than all of us questioning him while buying Apple products. This is the world today.

If you're hinting that we shouldn't buy products from companies that don't perfectly align with our values, then I guess we'll all go back to the stone age. I can go spend a Friday night with a buddy who has different political beliefs than me, a different religion, maybe even questionable behavior (by my standards). I don't feel that makes me a hypocrite, just a guy hanging out with a buddy. And when I go buy an iPhone, I'm just a guy who needs a phone and likes the iPhone better than the other ones. You could say the same thing about Samsung, Google, and the other big phone companies. None of them are perfect, but at the end of the day a lot of people need a phone, so we'll go and get one, which does nothing to remove our rights to voice our concerns when a company we bought from (or didn't buy from) does something questionable like this.
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Quite simply, if an app is being used to target a build-up of people for violent / targeting reasons, then I firmly agree with Apple’s decision to remove such an abhorrent app.

How stupid are these lawyers and politicians to go against this?

So you'd be cool with Apple removing Twitter, Facebook, and even their own app iMessage, all of which have been used by criminals to coordinate and commit crimes and also by bullies who have bullied people literally to suicide? I hope, unlike Apple, you won't pick and choose which apps get to stay based on your own self-interest.

 

[BuffaloTF]

What’s concerning is not Apple’s move... or the NBA’s move.

It’s that we’ve allowed China to get that powerful completely unchecked that they can force it to happen...