Apple Will Report Government Requests To Remove Apps From the App Store (theverge.com) 17
In its bi-annual transparency report today, Apple said that it will soon start reporting government requests to take down apps from the App Store. These requests will relate to alleged legal and/or policy provision violations, Apple says. The Verge reports: These numbers will tell us just how often governments are trying to block access to certain apps, and how many of those orders are actually obeyed. Google doesn't yet report these numbers specifically for the Play Store. As for takedown requests over the last year, governments around the world sent requests for information on 29,718 devices. Data was provided in 79 percent of cases. Governments also requested information on 3,358 Apple accounts, and data was provided in 82 percent of cases.
Removal of Apps (Score:1)
We need some non-governmental, non-corporate watchdog organisation to report removals from the 'App Stores.' Google & Apple certainly can't be trusted to not silently snuff things out that show them in a bad light.
Re: Removal of Apps (Score:1)
It just seemed like a virtue-signaling action by Apple, when the reality is that many App removals are more related to Apple wanting more jingle in for their money bin.
Report what to whom? Only a baby step so far? (Score:2)
You're going in the right direction, but you stop too short and I wouldn't give you the favorable mod point (if IehaMPtG).
Apple (or the google) should be the authorities for their own stores, but the decisions should be based on PUBLIC information that ALL of us want to share in. That's why the "financial model" should be displayed in the store for EACH app, and Apple (otg) should help us understand whether or not the app is honest or crooked.
If the app has a reasonable financial model, and Apple (otg) can
Define 'requests' (Score:3)
If the same 'request' comes from the government of China as opposed to the government of Monaco will Apple respond similarly?
Re: (Score:2)
Apps that show a person how to escape their religion of war?
To convert to another faith?
What life is like without their cult, faith, religion?
The history of their faith of war and how to read the texts of another much better faith?
Apps written by magicians, astrologers, soothsayers, diviners that a faith has their nations laws totally ban?
Apps that display a faiths text from God mixed in with the work of astrologers?
ahhhhh Bullship (Score:2)
"These numbers will tell us just how often governments are trying to block access to certain apps, and how many of those orders are actually obeyed."
Not even close. Those numbers tell us about court orders that they are allowed to disclose. It tells us nothing about orders that they are prevented to disclose even happened or the quantity of such orders.
" Governments also requested information on 3,358 Apple accounts, and data was provided in 82 percent of cases."
Except, when they are even prohibited
Your best solution, please? (Score:2)
Good point, but if there is no solution, what is the problem?
Recapping my earlier and longer comment, bad apps have reasons for their badness. The most frequent reason is the money. If we can't get the real data on who says bad things about the app or why some government wants it nuked, then at least Apple (otg) could report about the money.