New Chinese rules say Apple's App Store must track identities of users, developers

Posted:
in iPhone
Under new Chinese regulations, Apple will have to track the identities of App Store users while flagging anything that might violate the country's censorship laws, according to a Tuesday report.




App stores and providers must now maintain a record of user activity for 60 days, Bloomberg noted. Developers must meanwhile be verified, and starting July 1 their apps will have to be screened by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

Although the laws are largely meant to silence political dissent and any potentially offensive content, they also include some new privacy protections for end users. App stores and providers will have to obtain consent for any personal information collection, including contacts and location data.

Tougher regulations have been anticipated for some time -- nevertheless, they impose a greater burden not just on companies like Apple, but on developers and others.

The app screening rules in particular could cause delays at the App Store, since even a simplified process for local developers requires submission 20 days ahead of launch. Foreign companies -- and those that don't qualify for the simplified process -- may have to wait even longer for an app to go live. Outfits that want help with the approval process may end up spending thousands of dollars on third-party assistance.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 30
    redefilerredefiler Posts: 323member
    So China is now like the EU but with a better economy and worse art?

    ... I kid, I kid!

    Oh wait, no not really.    B)
    radarthekatindyfxaylkrazorpitcornchipjony0
  • Reply 2 of 30
    redefiler said:
    So China is now like the EU but with a better economy and worse art?

    ... I kid, I kid!

    Oh wait, no not really.    B)
    Yeah, it's really like the EU isn't it? We have censorship here in the EU too, and when you publicly disagree with government, you go to prison. Oh wait, no not really!
    davenwonkothesanecnocbuilostkiwianomeoseamejony0
  • Reply 3 of 30
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    Apple will concede.  The market is too big to ignore.  
    trashman69
  • Reply 4 of 30
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    eriamjh said:
    Apple will concede.  The market is too big to ignore.  

    But is it worth it in the end.....China seems to make it very hard for others to complete in their space. Yes, its a big market, but as soon as it drops off, I'd be looking to pulling out. 
    freshmakerlostkiwi
  • Reply 5 of 30
    China wants first world money, but wants to keep second world mentality.


    jbdragonrazorpit
  • Reply 6 of 30
    jdgazjdgaz Posts: 403member
    One day the billions will revolt and the overarching Chinese govt will fall. Kind of like the Brits just did. Enough was enough.
  • Reply 7 of 30
    freshmakerfreshmaker Posts: 532member
    macxpress said:
    eriamjh said:
    Apple will concede.  The market is too big to ignore.  

    But is it worth it in the end.....China seems to make it very hard for others to complete in their space. Yes, its a big market, but as soon as it drops off, I'd be looking to pulling out. 
    I always pull out after dropping off as well 
  • Reply 8 of 30
    redefilerredefiler Posts: 323member
    redefiler said:
    So China is now like the EU but with a better economy and worse art?

    ... I kid, I kid!

    Oh wait, no not really.    B)
    Yeah, it's really like the EU isn't it? We have censorship here in the EU too, and when you publicly disagree with government, you go to prison. Oh wait, no not really!
    Well yes there is some weird censorship stuff in the EU, but I was more alluding to the hyper control of government bureaucrats over trivial facets of daily lives.

    And to be totally fair, the Chinese do have much thicker skins regarding jabs.  Probably not surprising since the French's national pride is 'wine'.
  • Reply 9 of 30
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    Apple already know the identity of every person who gets apps from the app story, you have to put all your credential in to sign up. Also how else does Apple know to tell you the apps you down loaded need to be updated. I know Apple knows about every app I downloaded, I can get a summary of my activities. Therefore I am not sure this is a big deal.

    On the censorship thing, no different in the US, Apple censors apps which do not apply with US laws and Apples own decency policies. The problem is china, Apple will most likely have to hire China party members to review content to make sure it does not violate Chinese rules, this way if something missed Apple can blame the party members and their heads will be cut off.

    edited June 2016 lolliver
  • Reply 10 of 30
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    redefiler said:
    So China is now like the EU but with a better economy and worse art?

    ... I kid, I kid!

    Oh wait, no not really.    
    I feel a revolution coming on! Here in the USA the democrats want to prosecute free speech.
    cornchip
  • Reply 11 of 30
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    macxpress said:
    eriamjh said:
    Apple will concede.  The market is too big to ignore.  

    But is it worth it in the end.....China seems to make it very hard for others to complete in their space. Yes, its a big market, but as soon as it drops off, I'd be looking to pulling out. 
    I always pull out after dropping off as well 
    Yes so important, usually you do this before falling asleep.
    lostkiwi
  • Reply 12 of 30
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    maestro64 said:

    Apple already know the identity of every person who gets apps from the app story, you have to put all your credential in to sign up. Also how else does Apple know to tell you the apps you down loaded need to be updated. I know Apple knows about every app I downloaded, I can get a summary of my activities. Therefore I am not sure this is a big deal.

    On the censorship thing, no different in the US, Apple censors apps which do not apply with US laws and Apples own decency policies. The problem is china, Apple will most likely have to hire China party members to review content to make sure it does not violate Chinese rules, this way if something missed Apple can blame the party members and their heads will be cut off.

    This isn't just apps. It's user activity as well which probably includes posts and pictures. Scary thought. Perhaps there's a loophole to exploit. 
    razorpit
  • Reply 13 of 30
    joshajosha Posts: 901member
    wizard69 said:
     
    I feel a revolution coming on! Here in the USA the democrats want to prosecute free speech.
    Really.
    With Trump wanting to control who USA citizens can associate with, the USA is going to the personal freedom dump.
    pacificfilm
  • Reply 14 of 30
    joshajosha Posts: 901member
    China wants first world money, but wants to keep second world mentality.


    China needs to keep their current money from leaving China.
    Much more than the China individual $50k yearly limit of money has been leaving China to buy real estate.
    Now China admits that their people are borrowing big money then leaving China.
    Recently a China bank has come to Canada to locate $10m which was loaned in China, then brought here.
    It was located and much had been used to purchase 10 houses in Canada.
    Legal charges in Canada by that China bank are coming.
  • Reply 15 of 30
    redefilerredefiler Posts: 323member
    wizard69 said:
    redefiler said:
    So China is now like the EU but with a better economy and worse art?

    ... I kid, I kid!

    Oh wait, no not really.    
    I feel a revolution coming on! Here in the USA the democrats want to prosecute free speech.
    Both Democrats and Republicans love to limit free speech.  The track record for both parties is so horrific, only fools confused by blinking lights on their TVs and the glossy pictures on their crap news sites, believe there's a difference.

    There's a revolution coming, but not for the 31 flavors of Socialism or Conservatism, these are just failed, dishonest philosophies of the past.
    cornchip
  • Reply 16 of 30
    joshajosha Posts: 901member
    jdgaz said:
    One day the billions will revolt and the overarching Chinese govt will fall. Kind of like the Brits just did. Enough was enough.
    The Brit vote by a small majority to leave the EU was a very stupid decision.  Many British people will lose as a result.

    A revolt in China will free the people from a selfish dictatorship and should reduce the numbers of people who want to leave China.
    That may drop housing prices in many world cities, as the empty China people owned houses "just in case they are needed" are sold off.

    lolliverlostkiwi
  • Reply 17 of 30
    redefilerredefiler Posts: 323member
    josha said:
    wizard69 said:
     
    I feel a revolution coming on! Here in the USA the democrats want to prosecute free speech.
    Really.
    With Trump wanting to control who USA citizens can associate with, the USA is going to the personal freedom dump.
    Ah, my case in point Team D zealot responds with blind Team D incoherent babble to Team R zealot with Team R incoherent babble.  You clowns have both violated personal rights very recently in terrifyingly awful ways.  There's no moral high ground for scumbags, no matter what color Tshirt you're wearing. 
    cornchip
  • Reply 18 of 30
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    jdgaz said:
    One day the billions will revolt and the overarching Chinese govt will fall. Kind of like the Brits just did. Enough was enough.
    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/how-china-stays-stable-despite-500-protests-every-day/250940/
  • Reply 19 of 30
    redefilerredefiler Posts: 323member
    josha said:
    jdgaz said:
    One day the billions will revolt and the overarching Chinese govt will fall. Kind of like the Brits just did. Enough was enough.
    The Brit vote by a small majority to leave the EU was a very stupid decision.  Many British people will lose as a result.

    Because self determination is a bad thing?  It's not like they ever really fully joined, and the vote that first got them into the EU was by the slightest majority.  France even worked hard to block the British from joining.  With friends like those...

    Lots of cosmopolitan elitist tears over this, not sure anybody beyond that cares.  It's a shock to the progressive cause because the Star Trek TNG fantasy version of the EU was their promised paradise of 70 virgins.


    cornchip
  • Reply 20 of 30
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    eriamjh said:
    Apple will concede.  The market is too big to ignore.  
    Apple may very well concede and it will only amplify the company’s political hypocrisy. Withholding technical support from the GOP convention while spying on Chinese citizens for their totalitarian government. Boycotting North Carolina because of a bathroom law while kowtowing to India where the ancient caste system ignores human rights and labels people as “untouchable.” It would seem Tim Cook’s Apple is selectively indignant where it involves profit.

    But then we are ALL hypocrites in one way or another are we not?
    gatorguycornchip
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