News app Quartz removed from Chinese App Store amidst Hong Kong protests
Apple has removed Quartz from the Chinese App Store at the behest of the Chinese government, shortly after reinstating the previously removed protest app HKMap Live.
This marks the second time this month that Apple has removed an app that was related to the 2019 Hong Kong protests. HKMap Live, a protest map app, had been removed from the Chinese App Store over legality issues, but was later reinstated.
An editor at Quartz, John Keefe, has went public with the fact that Apple has now removed the news-based from the Chinese App Store. Quartz's extensive coverage of the Hong Kong protests and large non-U.S. audience were likely deciding factors.
Founded in 2012, Quartz says it features "global news and insights for a new generation of business leader," and that it's built "for users first." Over 60 percent of Quartz's readers access the site via mobile apps, and nearly 40 percent of its readers hail from outside of America.
Apple has not publicly addressed the issue at this time.
This marks the second time this month that Apple has removed an app that was related to the 2019 Hong Kong protests. HKMap Live, a protest map app, had been removed from the Chinese App Store over legality issues, but was later reinstated.
An editor at Quartz, John Keefe, has went public with the fact that Apple has now removed the news-based from the Chinese App Store. Quartz's extensive coverage of the Hong Kong protests and large non-U.S. audience were likely deciding factors.
Apple just took the Quartz app out of the Chinese app store at the request of China, and https://t.co/M7MXa7n7AG is now blocked from mainland China. Our excellent @qz coverage of ongoing Hong Kong protests may be the reason: https://t.co/FI4pcyzARz
-- John Keefe (@jkeefe)
Founded in 2012, Quartz says it features "global news and insights for a new generation of business leader," and that it's built "for users first." Over 60 percent of Quartz's readers access the site via mobile apps, and nearly 40 percent of its readers hail from outside of America.
Apple has not publicly addressed the issue at this time.
Comments
Hong Kong is screwed but good for them delaying the inevitable and having a pair to stand up for themselves. Much unlike Maverick from Top Gun 2 and let's be fair about this. I thought Maverick wouldn't back down from any fight. Link here for Top Gun 2 Taiwan censored flags.
I am sure (I hope) Apple is well on their way to finding a new country to make their product. I am unsure why they can't just build a full robotic plant in a more stable country. Apple still is bending their knees.
What's going on in Hong Kong has really changed that; and not only because Hong Kong has an open internet, and has a tradition of being part of the "open" world, but because of how Chinese voices all over the world have tried to silence those that support Hong Kong.
Now it isn't just China doing things in China, or "China being China" whenever they complain about something; now it is actually becoming a real problem for governments, and big corporations, outside of China. Now they basically end up having to choose if they go up against China, or decide to worldwide stick to, and force their people (including fans, citizens, employees etc) to stick to, behaving such that they don't displease the Chinese Communist Party.
Hong Kong is in a bad position, but might not actually be completely screwed; because as the world is waking up to having to deal with what China is doing, China might end up having to go easy on Hong Kong. "China" isn't even that committed in Hong Kong, as they use CL as a puppet, so they can back down at any moment without losing any face; simply by blaming the whole thing on CL.
“We voice our strong dissatisfaction and opposition to Adam Silver offering as an excuse the right to freedom of expression. We believe that no comments challenging national sovereignty and social stability fall within the scope of freedom of expression.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/sports/adam-silver-nba-china-hong-kong.html
...that's authoritarian insanity.
I've been to China, spent weeks there during university and traveled and studied with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. What the new Chinese dictator (I mean, "president for life") is doing is monstrous. He's interned, tortured, killed, and harvested organs from a million of his own people. We've invaded countries for less.
"Corporations are people too, friend." -- isn't that what the GOP famously said? Yep, it was. And as a person, Apple, and any corporation, is free to have an opinion and take a position on issues it cares to.