News app Quartz removed from Chinese App Store amidst Hong Kong protests

Posted:
in General Discussion
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.

Quartz removed from chinese app store


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

  • Reply 1 of 18
    mobirdmobird Posts: 752member
    Taking wagers of how soon this discussion will be closed... :*
    SpamSandwichwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 18
    Also, this entire thing is completely bizarre. Apple isn’t technically in charge of any apps being on their Chinese App Store. As part of the deal with China, they have their own App Store on their own servers in China.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 18
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    No comment.
  • Reply 4 of 18
    mobird said:
    Taking wagers of how soon this discussion will be closed... :*
    Why do they allow comments on these types of articles if they’re just going to shut them down.
    muthuk_vanalingamStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 18
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    Also, this entire thing is completely bizarre. Apple isn’t technically in charge of any apps being on their Chinese App Store. As part of the deal with China, they have their own App Store on their own servers in China.
    I don’t think this is true.  The deal was to use servers run by a Chinese company in China but the software running on those servers is Apple’s (goes for iCloud as well), is, Apple still runs the App Store for China.   
    svanstromwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 18
    This comment was deleted by the Chinese government.
    aplnubboltsfan17mobirdsvanstromnewBelievercaladanianbeowulfschmidtolivertwistStrangeDays
  • Reply 7 of 18
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    China goes nuts over Hong Kong and Taiwan. One tweet from a guy I never knew existed and you would think China is ready to go to war with the NBA.

    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.

    edited October 2019
  • Reply 8 of 18
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    aplnub said:
    China goes nuts over Hong Kong and Taiwan. One tweet from a guy I never knew existed and you would think China is ready to go to war with the NBA.

    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.

    See the source image
  • Reply 9 of 18
    It’s not just Apple, but Tim Cook has made it a significant part of his tenure as CEO to espouse Apple’s “core company values” and has certainly made an effort to make his voice heard on inequality etc as he sees it in the US. For this reason alone he and Apple deserve to be singled out for how they have handled themselves with regard to China and Hong Kong. Should Tim and the board insist on dragging the company into politically charged issues in the US he should have the stones to be consistent in all countries where they do business. Otherwise he should stick to business and focus on the company and shareholders only. He’s doing a disservice to both the company and its customers around the world at the same time with his inconsistency. I say this as someone who likes that Apple speaks out on cultural issues. However, if they insist on doing so in the safety of the US they should have the strength of character to stand up for the right thing everywhere, regardless of the fallout. Apple risks being labeled as opportunistic grandstanders for only having the courage to speak out in regions where they are safe to do so.
    edited October 2019 muthuk_vanalingamaplnub
  • Reply 10 of 18
    This comment was deleted by the monetary influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 11 of 18
    aplnub said:
    China goes nuts over Hong Kong and Taiwan. One tweet from a guy I never knew existed and you would think China is ready to go to war with the NBA.

    Hong Kong is screwed but good for them delaying the inevitable and having a pair to stand up for themselves.
    China has really been pushing it for quite some time now, and the world has been uncomfortable; but not uncomfortable enough to not just ignore everything for that shiny new toy "the Chinese market".

    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.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 12 of 18
    Apple has become China's pawn?!  

    WEAK.
  • Reply 13 of 18
    It’s not just Apple, but Tim Cook has made it a significant part of his tenure as CEO to espouse Apple’s “core company values” and has certainly made an effort to make his voice heard on inequality etc as he sees it in the US. For this reason alone he and Apple deserve to be singled out for how they have handled themselves with regard to China and Hong Kong. Should Tim and the board insist on dragging the company into politically charged issues in the US he should have the stones to be consistent in all countries where they do business. Otherwise he should stick to business and focus on the company and shareholders only. He’s doing a disservice to both the company and its customers around the world at the same time with his inconsistency. I say this as someone who likes that Apple speaks out on cultural issues. However, if they insist on doing so in the safety of the US they should have the strength of character to stand up for the right thing everywhere, regardless of the fallout. Apple risks being labeled as opportunistic grandstanders for only having the courage to speak out in regions where they are safe to do so.
    Their primary duty is to make a profit. If anyone is going to criticize China and have it mean something, it’ll be US leaders and lawmakers.
  • Reply 14 of 18
    rgh71rgh71 Posts: 125member
    Huge Apple fan and investor, and I’m hugely disappointed in their cow towing to China.  How can they explain this duplicity.  China is a land of terrific wealth, but corporations and their investors should all agree it is a no-go zone and not do business there.  Easy to type and impossible to implement unfortunately.  However I will be a massively dedicated customer to any firm that takes a strong stand for human rights against any regime that suppresses its people.  (the selfish lying Trump admin included!)
    svanstrom
  • Reply 15 of 18
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    It’s not just Apple, but Tim Cook has made it a significant part of his tenure as CEO to espouse Apple’s “core company values” and has certainly made an effort to make his voice heard on inequality etc as he sees it in the US. For this reason alone he and Apple deserve to be singled out for how they have handled themselves with regard to China and Hong Kong. Should Tim and the board insist on dragging the company into politically charged issues in the US he should have the stones to be consistent in all countries where they do business. Otherwise he should stick to business and focus on the company and shareholders only. He’s doing a disservice to both the company and its customers around the world at the same time with his inconsistency. I say this as someone who likes that Apple speaks out on cultural issues. However, if they insist on doing so in the safety of the US they should have the strength of character to stand up for the right thing everywhere, regardless of the fallout. Apple risks being labeled as opportunistic grandstanders for only having the courage to speak out in regions where they are safe to do so.
    Their primary duty is to make a profit. If anyone is going to criticize China and have it mean something, it’ll be US leaders and lawmakers.
    Except that hasn't really been the case in the USA with Apple, has it? I'm an Apple homer, but you can't thumb your nose at the USA or get involved politically here and then bend the knee in Hong Kong without expecting major blowback. It is hypocritical at the least. GeneralBrock is spot on.
    svanstrom
  • Reply 16 of 18
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Also, this entire thing is completely bizarre. Apple isn’t technically in charge of any apps being on their Chinese App Store. As part of the deal with China, they have their own App Store on their own servers in China.
    AFAICT Apple still owns the Chinese App store. They do NOT control iCloud in China any longer. Primary ownership belongs to a Chinese company you're probably familiar with, Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD)
    edited October 2019 svanstrom
  • Reply 17 of 18
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    svanstrom said:
    aplnub said:
    China goes nuts over Hong Kong and Taiwan. One tweet from a guy I never knew existed and you would think China is ready to go to war with the NBA.

    Hong Kong is screwed but good for them delaying the inevitable and having a pair to stand up for themselves.
    China has really been pushing it for quite some time now, and the world has been uncomfortable; but not uncomfortable enough to not just ignore everything for that shiny new toy "the Chinese market".

    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.
    Agreed -- these recent events have helped expose China for the threat to the free world that it actually is. Like when they try to say that American citizens are not free to express their own opinions on the topic of China:

    “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.
  • Reply 18 of 18
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    It’s not just Apple, but Tim Cook has made it a significant part of his tenure as CEO to espouse Apple’s “core company values” and has certainly made an effort to make his voice heard on inequality etc as he sees it in the US. For this reason alone he and Apple deserve to be singled out for how they have handled themselves with regard to China and Hong Kong. Should Tim and the board insist on dragging the company into politically charged issues in the US he should have the stones to be consistent in all countries where they do business. Otherwise he should stick to business and focus on the company and shareholders only. He’s doing a disservice to both the company and its customers around the world at the same time with his inconsistency. I say this as someone who likes that Apple speaks out on cultural issues. However, if they insist on doing so in the safety of the US they should have the strength of character to stand up for the right thing everywhere, regardless of the fallout. Apple risks being labeled as opportunistic grandstanders for only having the courage to speak out in regions where they are safe to do so.
    Their primary duty is to make a profit. If anyone is going to criticize China and have it mean something, it’ll be US leaders and lawmakers.
    "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. 
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