Canada has similar user data requirements. It just isn't run by a brutal dictatorship. The issue here isn't so much the requirement, it is the risk that the government will abuse it.
I'm pretty sure that one of Apple's principles is complying with laws. The requirements that the servers be located in Russia is benign. Whether Apple gives "unreasonable" access to data is a different issue and has yet to be seen.
Sure, I wouldn't trust China or Russia in what they would do with the data of their citizens. I also don't trust what the U.S. would do with my data as well, especially with several attempts to legislate back-doors into our encrypted data.
Yup. The potential for bad or misguided people to harm people they perceive as a threat is cause for concern.
Stop making a fuss about it. Every country has dirty laundry. There's nothing to read here.
Um, what?
As the risk to personal safety increases, so does the need to "make a fuss." You may choose to stick your fingers in your ears and just ignore the issue, but I don't see how encouraging others to do the same leads to positive outcomes. An ignorant and apathetic population makes it easier for those in power to engage in corrupt activities.
Let’s not forget, the NSA collects just about everything from us. Maybe we should worry first about your own government before we get all sanctimonious about other countries.
1. Johnny faces punishment for hitting his sister with a stick. His defence is that Billy also hits his sister with a stick. Should Johnny get away with it? Of course not. Bad behaviour by one party is not an excuse for another to behave the same way. We should all have enough mental capacity to engage both domestic and foreign issues.
2. Apple actively acts to protect your privacy in the United States. It has taken a firm position, even when unpopular, on the risks associated with surrendering privacy to improve conditions for law enforcement. Based only on what we know from this article, one might be inclined to perceive Apple as being hypocritical by chanting the mantra of personal privacy at home while surrendering the security of users abroad.
It could be argued that conditions won't improve for citizens of regimes suspected to be corrupt just because Apple decides not to do business in those markets. I say it puts pressure on governments when the largest corporation in the world says "We won't play in your sandbox until you quit hitting your sister with a stick."
Apple is a business, business, business, and a business.
So what? Apple turns down opportunities for more money every single day with every product and service idea it chooses not to produce. Apple chooses to reduce sales of certain products by using environment-friendly manufacturing processes that drive up the prices of its goods. Corporations are just as capable of making decisions about how and where they make their money as are individuals.
As an audio engineer I don't get to dictate the content of the material I work on. However, when presented with a project that paid well but violated my core values, I simply refused to work on it. I may not be able to prevent others from doing bad things, but I can sure as hell refuse to help them do it. Apple has the same option.
(For the record, I'm not saying Apple is right or wrong. There isn't enough information in just this one article to form that opinion. I'm just saying "because money" isn't always a good enough argument for any particular action.)
Hypocrite Tim Cook talking about user privacy, while bending over to China and Russia? It’s either defending our privacy or going for the money, not both! In that case it’s just marketing/PR. Sad.
You stated a number of incidents of which none are proven....
The international community considers it beyond reasonable doubt that Vladimir Putin's regime has imprisoned opponents on manufactured charges, and murdered others. Only Putin and his patsies claim otherwise.
Apple needs to pull out of countries like China and Russia with their human rights violations and ambitions of conquest.
Apple’s leadership talks much on how privacy and human rights are part of their DNA.
Well, they must be growing some mutant strains of DNA, because there exists an awful lot of compromise.
“Oh hey, let’s censor free speech we don’t agree with, but let’s help China and Russia spy on their citizens so that we make some extra cash.”
Apple is guilty of forcing their own values on customers and business partners and then turning around and compromising on those values they claim to hold dear when the dollar speaks.
It would be best if they just focused on making the best products and services (which includes security and privacy) and leave the values of those who use them... to them.
If a company ends up with a certain amount of users, a companies user data should be stored in the users country. I bet that’s what most consumers would want and should require. Also that would stop foreign countries from committing espionage.
Yeah, that principle of "follow the law in the country you do business in" is a bitch, isn't it?
Thing is, Americans have always thought that the whole world is subject to US law. That caprice was easier so shove down other people's throats when we were an uncontested economic and military hyperpower, but that started to go away ever since our economic policy makers decided that making money by selling financial services is just as good as making money by selling real manufactured stuff. (And thus just stood by and watched as the manufacturing sector began to shrivel up.)
Russia has every right to, and they should. Apple is US company and the US is being increasingly aggressive on the world stage which makes it own rules for itself and demands other follow different rules. Russia and China and not the ones causing havoc around the world, it is the US. Most US citizens have no idea of extent of the information bubble they live in. Anyway, the NSA/CIA and other departments, not only can get to access to your phone if you're targetted, they have access to all your data if so required.
Russia and China are not creating trouble around the world? Only the U.S.? What effin planet do you live on?
Apple reportedly registered with the Russian government on Christmas Day, identifying stored data as including names, addresses, email contacts, and phone numbers.
These aren't email messages, or phone calls. It's not the content, but associative informations, usually vital for criminal investigation. Think about os X architecture, all these informations are stored separately from the content and so it should be able to store these physically on Russian land, while the content (incl. iMessages) in the cloud - like anywhere. Let's wait and see the definition. Otherwise, the only difference between US "brutal dictatorship" and Russian or Chinese "brutal dictatorship" is, that US citizens are widely unaware of it, I believe.
Comments
Um, what?
As the risk to personal safety increases, so does the need to "make a fuss." You may choose to stick your fingers in your ears and just ignore the issue, but I don't see how encouraging others to do the same leads to positive outcomes. An ignorant and apathetic population makes it easier for those in power to engage in corrupt activities.
2. Apple actively acts to protect your privacy in the United States. It has taken a firm position, even when unpopular, on the risks associated with surrendering privacy to improve conditions for law enforcement. Based only on what we know from this article, one might be inclined to perceive Apple as being hypocritical by chanting the mantra of personal privacy at home while surrendering the security of users abroad.
It could be argued that conditions won't improve for citizens of regimes suspected to be corrupt just because Apple decides not to do business in those markets. I say it puts pressure on governments when the largest corporation in the world says "We won't play in your sandbox until you quit hitting your sister with a stick."
As an audio engineer I don't get to dictate the content of the material I work on. However, when presented with a project that paid well but violated my core values, I simply refused to work on it. I may not be able to prevent others from doing bad things, but I can sure as hell refuse to help them do it. Apple has the same option.
(For the record, I'm not saying Apple is right or wrong. There isn't enough information in just this one article to form that opinion. I'm just saying "because money" isn't always a good enough argument for any particular action.)
Apple’s leadership talks much on how privacy and human rights are part of their DNA.
Well, they must be growing some mutant strains of DNA, because there exists an awful lot of compromise.
“Oh hey, let’s censor free speech we don’t agree with, but let’s help China and Russia spy on their citizens so that we make some extra cash.”
Apple is guilty of forcing their own values on customers and business partners and then turning around and compromising on those values they claim to hold dear when the dollar speaks.
It would be best if they just focused on making the best products and services (which includes security and privacy) and leave the values of those who use them... to them.
Yeah, that principle of "follow the law in the country you do business in" is a bitch, isn't it?
Thing is, Americans have always thought that the whole world is subject to US law. That caprice was easier so shove down other people's throats when we were an uncontested economic and military hyperpower, but that started to go away ever since our economic policy makers decided that making money by selling financial services is just as good as making money by selling real manufactured stuff. (And thus just stood by and watched as the manufacturing sector began to shrivel up.)
Otherwise, the only difference between US "brutal dictatorship" and Russian or Chinese "brutal dictatorship" is, that US citizens are widely unaware of it, I believe.