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

[HiRez]

For a long time everyone has been wondering what is the best use of its massive pile of cash (somewhere around a quarter trillion dollars currently). As a shareholder I would support them using a large chunk of that to extract themselves from China. It’ll be very expensive and take years, but they need to start the process. At the very least, get other countries set up to balance the load and reduce China’s leverage on the manufacturing side.

That quote from Tim Cook is quite damning, I don’t see how you can parse that to not look like a hypocrite now.

 

[Jakewilk]

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?

You’re argument is based on a logical fallacy called a “slippery slope.” It’s the kind of fallacy a child or this president would make

You’re right that nearly anything can be used to facilitate crime, but find my friends and iMessage don’t tell you that there are no cops around to stop your illegal behavior, nor do they give you location data on your enemies (in this case the state police). It boggles my mind that you can’t see a difference between them

Also to be clear I’m not a tim cook apologist, just pushing back against the typical mac rumors knee-jerk opposition to anything he does

 

[pika2000]

Found the Chinese apologist. The only ones who want chaos and lawlessness are the Chinese government and police when they don’t get their way of shutting down free speech, free thought and democracy. They would rather murder their own people en masse than give up control.

I’d love to see how Hypocrite Tim spins censoring apps used by persecuted ethnic and religious minorities in his social justice virtue signalling.

Typical leftist self-righteous BS. Where were you when the protest started? It was peaceful, and everybody respected each other, and all Hong Kong's citizens banded together. But now it has deteriorated into riots, and even Hong Kong citizens now feel unsafe. There is no longer free speech when that right is being used to trample the rights of others. In fact, people like you who are supporting the current chaos and lawlessness in the name of "free speech" and "democracy" are actually indirectly supporting the Chinese government as they can use this excuse of lawlessness to go in heavy handedly. Right now, it's no longer about free speech nor democracy. It's about maintaining stability as Hong Kong is spiraling downwards, and majority of its citizens don't feel safe anymore. Hong Kong's main revenue is as a trade and financial hub, with no direct natural resources. Those things are not working when there are riots and lawlessness, and Hong Kong as a country is weakening by the minute. People like you who are supporting this now are basically supporting the Chinese government in infiltrating the weakening Hong Kong.

Shame on you.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Tim is nothing but a giant hypocrite

And the politicians aren’t? Are they all clamoring to end economic ties with China over China’s long lists of abuses?

 

[Defthand]

Poor Apple. They re-imagined the mobile phone and assumed it would be a benign appliance to supersede the iPod (or Motorola Rokr). Instead, it evolved unpredictably and replaced the PC for many people. Apple’s decision to make the iPhone a closed and curated product like the iPod is having consequences now. Apple wouldn’t be in this position now if iOS was as liberated as MacOS. Again, if owners could side load apps from alternative sources, Apple wouldn’t have to apologize.

 

[pika2000]

That was a crappy move by Apple. All these protestors want is freedom like we enjoy.

The original protestors did, and the app was approved before.
But now, they're no longer "protestors" when they are using the app to trample the rights of innocent citizens. The movement have been infiltrated by pure thugs and criminals.

 

[neuropsychguy]

What else should Apple do? Block the app and get banned from China? What good will that do for democracy? Companies should follow the law. Unless they have enough leverage to make a difference for the good. Which Apple, as a US company does not have.

What’s funny are the people who want companies to stay out of politics unless the companies get involved in political issues those people agree with. We don’t like “conservative” or “liberal” companies but do like “liberal” or “conservative” ones. We don’t like lobbyists except for lobbyists who lobby for causes we support.
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The movement have been infiltrated by pure thugs and criminals.

You’re talking about the Chinese government, I hope. They are the ones being the thugs.

 

[pika2000]

Poor Apple. They re-imagined the mobile phone and assumed it would be a benign appliance to supersede the iPod (or Motorola Rokr). Instead, it evolved quickly and replaced the PC for many people. Apple’s decision to make the iPhone a closed and curated product like the iPod is having consequences now. Apple wouldn’t be in this position now if iOS was as liberated as MacOS. Again, if owners could side load apps from alternative sources, Apple wouldn’t have to apologize.

Do you even understand what you're saying?
There's the thing called the INTERNET, and Apple doesn't block Safari nor other web browsers. You can go to hkmap.live which is also a URL. Remember the internet and how to use it?

 

[killawat]

Poor Apple. They re-imagined the mobile phone and assumed it would be a benign appliance to supersede the iPod (or Motorola Rokr). Instead, it evolved unpredictably and replaced the PC for many people. Apple’s decision to make the iPhone a closed and curated product like the iPod is having consequences now. Apple wouldn’t be in this position now if iOS was as liberated as MacOS. Again, if owners could side load apps from alternative sources, Apple wouldn’t have to apologize.

And so the availability of Hkmap.live (which works fantastic on mobile safari btw) absolves Apple entirely right? Not being on the App Store is a minor speed bump for Tech savvy protestors that use every platform available.

 

[sinoka56]

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple stores Hong Kong iCloud users' data to China's iCloud servers.

 

[pika2000]

You’re talking about the Chinese government, I hope. They are the ones being the thugs.

Who knows at this point. Too many parties have self interest in a destabilized Hong Kong (which is one of Asia's financial hub). Knowing how the US had a hand in (too) many international events, it wouldn't surprise me if they had a play as well.

In short, the losers are Hong Kong citizens who are now live in fear, in a destabilizing country. It is pointless to talk big about free speech and democracy now when the actions are hurting innocents citizens. No rights shall trample the rights of others. Where were these self-righteous politicians when the protest were peaceful and meaningful? Oh maybe they were all defending China when Trump was doing his trade-war.

 

[konqerror]

You’re argument is based on a logical fallacy called a “slippery slope.” It’s the kind of fallacy a child or this president would make

You weren't paying attention to how this whole Hong Kong thing started. It started by allowing the mainland government to appoint some of the HK legislature and select the slate of high-ranking candidates. Then the Beijing-friendly governments started allowing more mainland power in law enforcement, including arrest powers under the guise of preclearance. They quashed citizen attempts at universal suffrage in order to hold on to their power. Then the extradition law. This is the short version.

And now Hong Kong lost freedom of speech because Beijing told the HK government to tell Apple to ban this app.

It's been a slippery slope since July 1997.

 

[notabadname]

So we have law-makers pressuring Apple for complying with the laws of a nation in which it sells a product. Such irony.

 

[pika2000]

So we have law-makers pressuring Apple for complying with the laws of a nation in which it sells a product. Such irony.

It’s simply virtue signaling. These politicians are just doing what’s trendy to get voters attention. In reality they couldn’t care less. It’s all about politics.

 

[atomic.flip]

Politicians need to stay out of this. Apple makes its own free market decisions, and Republicans are supposed to be on our side.

Exactly how is this a free market if ANOTHER government can compel Apple to remove an app from their store? So what, American politicians should stay out but Chinese communist party members are A-Ok????

 

[Ghost31]

I don’t know where I stand on this one. On one hand it seems like they shouldn’t have pulled the app because I support the protest. On the other, why do I think I can tell a company whose operations are in China what to do based on my American opinion?

 

[Jakewilk]

You weren't paying attention to how this whole Hong Kong thing started. It started by allowing the mainland government to appoint some of the HK legislature and select the slate of high-ranking candidates. Then the Beijing-friendly governments started allowing more mainland power in law enforcement, including arrest powers under the guise of preclearance. They quashed citizen attempts at universal suffrage in order to hold on to their power. Then the extradition law. This is the short version.

And now Hong Kong lost freedom of speech because Beijing told the HK government to tell Apple to ban this app.

It's been a slippery slope since July 1997.

I don’t deny anything you say in the post, none of which was a slippery slope, I should add. Regardless of the injustices done to hong kong, the map app is a tool for violence. Whether that is a good thing or not is up for debate, but if I were the CEO of a multinational company I wouldn’t want any of the blood on my own hands. That’s my take at least

 

[ilikewhey]

Exactly how is this a free market if ANOTHER government can compel Apple to remove an app from their store? So what, American politicians should stay out but Chinese communist party members are A-Ok????

It’s part of China so yeah ccp members are a-ok, last time I checked he belongs to China not us

 

[konqerror]

I don’t deny anything you say in the post, none of which was a slippery slope, I should add

It was. You missed my message.

The mainland government incrementally took away freedoms and rigged the system in their favor. People didn't complain because they were economically prosperous, and then a series of crises, economic and health that affected the entire Asia-Pacific region, hit that distracted them. By the time they realized what was going on, it was too late.

The situation was chain where people's freedoms were removed bit by bit, largely enabled by the last step.

This is why the unrest is happening now. Many had expected this to happen in 1997, but it didn't. (Not just speculation: there were serious contingency plans made back then. Ask anybody in Vancouver, Canada.) It was a 22 year slippery slope rather than the overnight takeover that was predicted.

 

[ilikewhey]

You weren't paying attention to how this whole Hong Kong thing started. It started by allowing the mainland government to appoint some of the HK legislature and select the slate of high-ranking candidates. Then the Beijing-friendly governments started allowing more mainland power in law enforcement, including arrest powers under the guise of preclearance. They quashed citizen attempts at universal suffrage in order to hold on to their power. Then the extradition law. This is the short version.

And now Hong Kong lost freedom of speech because Beijing told the HK government to tell Apple to ban this app.

It's been a slippery slope since July 1997.

They would lose their freedom eventually per 1997 agreement between China and uk, that deal has been signed and sealed. All us politicians can do now is whine about it ok social media but in actuality there is not much they can do.

 

[Jakewilk]

Exactly how is this a free market if ANOTHER government can compel Apple to remove an app from their store? So what, American politicians should stay out but Chinese communist party members are A-Ok????

I think he means that US politicians should worry about the US and let foreign politicians worry about their own countries

China doesn’t get a say in what’s for sale in america and visa versa

 

[konqerror]

They would lose their freedom eventually per 1997 agreement between China and uk, that deal has been signed and sealed.

It's not 2047.

 

[benlukes]

But if it was an ISIS app being removed, you wouldn't mind at all.

Right, because members of ISIS and citizens of Hong Kong are not the same.

 

[ilikewhey]

Right, because members of ISIS and citizens of Hong Kong are not the same.

violent protestors throwing petrol bombs and beating up hk citizens might as well be.

 

[dwaite]

iMessage has been used by criminals to plan and coordinate with each other to commit horrible crimes.

You honestly don't see the difference between an app used to talk about any and all topics, and an app built specifically to display crowdsource police location?