Apple Reportedly Disables Its News App In China (nytimes.com) 64
An anonymous reader writes: When Apple launched iOS 9, it replaced its Newsstand app with Apple News. The software has only been available to users in the U.S., but those who registered their phones in the U.S. had no problem using the app while overseas. Now, the NY Times reports that Apple is specifically disabling the app for users located in China. "Those in China who look at the top of the Apple News feed, which would normally display a list of selected articles based on a user's preferred media, instead see an error message: 'Can't refresh right now. News isn't supported in your current region.' ... Beijing generally insists that companies are responsible for censoring sensitive content inside China. In Apple's case, that would mean it would probably have to develop a censorship system — most Chinese companies use a combination of automated software and employees — to eliminate sensitive articles from feeds."
In China (Score:2, Offtopic)
SubjectsInCommentsAreStupid (Score:3)
I struggle to see the news.
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The rationalism is probably something like this: we need revenue (don't want to be banned) and people will ummm, maybe, ok-- try to find ways around the censorship.
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Jailbreaks come from many places, but this is certainly one more motivator. Sad to see. Doing the right thing extends as far as quarterly profit statements.
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Turning a profit is a legal corporate responsibility. They have to do this. That said, some are able to champion ideals that even add to their cache and longevity as money-making machines. Others have sufficient amounts momentum to ignore any semblance of morality.
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Companies are obligated to obey the law. Apple is doing what they have to do. Their only alternative would be to abandon China, and leave the Chinese market to even more compliant domestic competitors. Google tried that, and accomplished nothing. Apple is not going to "fix" China, nor is any other foreign entity, and it is absurd to expect them to.
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Companies are obligated to obey the law.
I really hope I'm wrong but weren't you just in a thread about Uber a few days ago and cheering them on? I really hope I'm wrong.
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Totalitarian regime goes hand in hand with the chinese government. I struggle to see the news.
This is news. It's called an instruction set to inform the rest of the world how NOT to act. And quite frankly, humans are lemmings who will follow the status quo, so they need that reminder more than they think they do.
When you do not report violations of rights, those violations become the norm. Then they become accepted. Then they become defended. Then they become law. Then they become an example for other countries to follow.
Don't give other countries the excuse.
Re:SubjectsInCommentsAreStupid (Score:5, Funny)
Are you in China?
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Are you in China?
China has no struggles. China is such good news, and China is good fortune cookie by excellent government policy embraced by people and Buick.
Re:Heavy handed approach? (Score:4, Informative)
Yes. Because in this case, "localized news" means "doing the Chinese government's censorship for them." That's a principled stance--not the most principled stance, but Apple does need to show a profit.
It shows the Chinese user what he's missing--although this may or may not have been part of Apple's intention. The main thing is this isn't about the phone, it's about where the phone is. When you take it into China, this happens. When you take it out of China, it stops happening. So all phones have the code since any phone might be taken into China (if I'm reading this correctly, it isn't code in the phone performing the check, it's Apple's News servers doing it when the phone asks for News).
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Chinese tend to be very compliant people. When asked about censorship issues, most Chinese will say they appreciate their government insulating them from sensitive information as it makes them feel more comfortable.
Not quite sure you could find a more perfect definition of blissful ignorance than this.
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Chinese tend to be very compliant people. When asked about censorship issues, most Chinese will say they appreciate their government insulating them from sensitive information as it makes them feel more comfortable.
Of course they are!
One would imagine a good bit of the genetic predisposition towards questioning authority has been bred right out of the populace.
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That is a profoundly racist outlook. It's exactly the expression of a racist point of view.
Re:Not surprising (Score:4, Interesting)
That is a profoundly racist outlook. It's exactly the expression of a racist point of view.
No, it isn't. It is an objective observation.
A long serving totalitarian regime, known for suppression of dissent, would invariably condition generations of its populace to avoid confronting the status quo.
That is why Tiananmen Square was so impressive. And a massacre.
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>> A long serving totalitarian regime, known for suppression of dissent, would invariably condition generations of its populace to avoid confronting the status quo.
And you are sure that conditioning has not been enacted upon you, US Citizen?
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He's probably one of those people who will go on and on about his "second amendment rights" without even the hint of understanding any of what is outlined in : "18 U.S. Code Chapter 115 - TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES."
Only other nations use propaganda...didn't you know?
Probably,
you're a proper dick.
Re: Probably not (Score:1)
Re: Probably not (Score:1)
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Of course they will. It's not all that safe to say anything else.
If I were Apple (Score:1)
I would take a more activist approach and load up the phones with Tor, PGP, and all kinds of stuff to subvert Chinese censorship, then have the phones smuggled in via Taiwan.
If the Maoists don't like it, I'd pull ever last assembly line out of the country and tell them where to stick it.
Apple is sitting on 1/3 of a trillion dollars in cash. They can build 100+ factories in any other country they want, and the Chinese wouldn't be able to do shit.
Where's Tim Cook's activism now? (Score:2, Insightful)
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Not favorable if this article on shock therapy [advocate.com] is to be believed.
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Well, that would probably have to be 'privately' disfavored by Mr. Cook. He's not going to take a public stand on Gay Rights in the market that hasn't been captured yet.
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Tim Cook cares about stock valuation, not freedom in China or anywhere else. That's his job. The dark side is strong in this one.
That's interesting, given how outspoken he is on the issue of gay marriage in the US. That's why I commented. I wouldn't have said anything had he been someone quite silent on politics, like say, Bill Gates.
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moveing the factory cost to much so we have to (Score:2)
moving the factory costs to much so we have to as china says.
Even Mexico is to much for apple
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Tim Cook is totally outspoken when it comes to gay rights, but when it comes to censorship in China, he becomes a total wuss!!! Should one be surprised? Wonder whether they recognize gay marriage in China, and whether he supports their policy on gays or not? Maybe if one brought to his notice discrimination against gays in China, that he'd make this a personal cause celeb
Gay rights is something he can influence, where he can influence it. China's views on censorship, not so much. In fact, it would seem that this might be more of a cause suited to Google "indexing all of the worlds information".
I think that not providing a filtered (read: watered down) Apple News product in China is a principled choice. Once the user runs the appropriate VPN to bypass the GFW, the news shows up.
but their commercials say it's for free thinkers? (Score:4, Interesting)
1984 commercial [youtube.com]
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Those are just 'lifestyle' ads. Similar to the cowboy smoking the Marlboro cigarette.
The best way to state your case against censorship (Score:4, Insightful)
...Is to sell computers with the warning that "News is not supported in your region."
Chinese users will figure out how to route around the problem.
Rolexes (Score:1)
"The software has only been available to users in the U.S.,"
Works fine in Canada from day one. Even includes the major Canadian newspapers and magazines.
Nice research.
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The software is only available to those who have US based accounts. They can travel the world and the app will still work for those users. The exception is China where Apple is disabling it when US users travel there.
I live in Canada and the app is no where to be seen on my iPhone.
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I'm in the UK and have an iPhone purchased here and a UK-based account. The app appeared on my phone along with the rest of iOS 9.
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Well according to Apple (scroll to the very bottom to see the disclaimer) [apple.com] it is only available to US users. However it was mentioned at WWDC that the UK and Australia would be getting the app as well.
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> The software is only available to those who have US based accounts
Nope, my account is listed in Canada. Always has been. You're wrong.
Capitalism's amorality (Score:4, Insightful)
Does Apple's News app in china display a message "the shitty masters you put up with won't let you see real news, BITCHES"? I thought not. Apple is one among many actively propping up that hide bound gerontocracy.
"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." -Lenin. They will also gleefully cooperate with evil bastards.
Slogan (Score:3)
Apple needs to develop a system of censorship? (Score:2)
Become as independent of China as possible (Score:2)
Here's my best advice to Tim Cook: Make Apple as independent of China as possible. Some day the Chinese government will make a demand to which Mr. Cook will not comply (because of his conscience), or can not comply (because of US laws).
What's the worst thing China can do, in response to Apple's refusal? Apple makes most of its money from selling hardware, so the worst thing China could do would be to stop or severely limit Apple's manufacturing in China.
So I recommend that Mr. Cook and Jeff Williams work to
"News isn't supported in your current region" (Score:2)