Apple Removes Unofficial WikiLeaks Application From App Store [Updated]

[quatermass]

Good.

I'm fed up of Mr Asange. He's not a journalist - he's just a conduit for these documents. Most of them are "So what" or "Didn't we know that already", or else little more than tittle-tattle or gossip. He could be said to be in receipt of stolen goods as he's handling documents he's no right to be in possession of.
As for free speech, I like how he's now turned on the Guardian Newspaper which had been his mouthpiece up to now - but they've now published stories about Mr. Asange which he doesn't like and wants them shut up. Freedom of speech for who, Mr Asange? And if the allegations are baseless, why not just go back to Sweden and put it all to rest?

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

 

[paul4339]

Wikileaks just released everything they get, they asked the white house for help to censor sensitive information like names, but they refused.

Also the "rape" charges are "Sex By Surprise" meaning the condom broke and he kept going. These charges were only brought after he released all the info, convenient. Rape is really tossed around loosely these days, I personally think its offensive to people who have actually gotten rapped.

Agree. I LOL when I heard that Assange made the Interpol wanted list for the above accusation. Since when did someone get on to Interpol for any kind of charges remotely similar to this, never mind 'a broken condom'? (half of the college students in the US would be on the interpol list)


Also, if this App was re-publishing news about the any other country (say leaks from UK, Germany, China, Finland, Japan, Canada) and giving donations to the publisher I doubt it would be removed so easily. (if it were France, they'd probably get an award ).


P.

 

[occamsrazor]

Most of them are "So what" or "Didn't we know that already", or else little more than tittle-tattle or gossip

I love the way detractors of Wikileaks are describing them both as a giant threat to national security and putting lives at risk, and nothing we didn't all know already.... simultaneously...

 

[quagmire]

Where?

Show me one.

Have you actually read through any of the cables? AFAIK no one has been able to actually show a single person that is put in danger by these cables, outside of danger to their reputation.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/06/wikileaks/index.html?hpt=T2

Sure they filter out individual names, but what about the population living in those locations leaked?

They show plenty of illegal activity. If you have not seem it mentioned it is because you don't want to. They also show plenty of other stuff. I guess Wikileaks could just cherry pick stuff to embarrass the US but that isn't their way.

I know they do( aka the helicopter incident), but anything beyond leaking illegal activity and corruption I cannot support.

 

[chaosbunny]

Freedom Speech?? This is not a matter of Freedom of Speech. Classified documents are just that - classified. There's a reason that certain items are not meant for public release. You are extremely ignorant if you don't realize that keeping certain information classified allows us to enjoy our freedom and prevent foreign entities from infringing on it.

Also, the release of the info by WL has endangered the lives of dozens of people who are risking their lives for our freedom and way of life. Once again, if you don't realize that, then you've got some serious cognitive impairments.

For most things I'm all about transparency. However, I'm not so ignorant to think that everything should be public knowledge.

Your logic is way flawed. If any government violates its constitution, or civil rights or is involved in criminal acts these facts need to be made public. The biggest danger of all is a government that can do whatever it wants.
Your so called "need for classification" is doing more to destroy democracy than some guys wearing turbans.

 

[4look4rd]

Freedom Speech?? This is not a matter of Freedom of Speech. Classified documents are just that - classified. There's a reason that certain items are not meant for public release. You are extremely ignorant if you don't realize that keeping certain information classified allows us to enjoy our freedom and prevent foreign entities from infringing on it.

Also, the release of the info by WL has endangered the lives of dozens of people who are risking their lives for our freedom and way of life. Once again, if you don't realize that, then you've got some serious cognitive impairments.

For most things I'm all about transparency. However, I'm not so ignorant to think that everything should be public knowledge.

Its not about freedom of speech, its about freedom of press. Wikileaks did not steal the documents, they simply published it. When a whistle blower newsource is censured due to what it published then you have a problem. What will be next the New York Times or the Washington Post? Oh wait....

 

[Dr McKay]

I was ready to think 'shame on Apple' for removing it until I saw that it was charging to access information that's freely available from the site itself.

The person who made the app probably has nothing to do with the site.

 

[drummerlondonw3]

It was removed because it broke App Store rules. Plain & simple. Not because it's wikileaks, but because apps that collect for charities must be free. It should never have slipped through in the first place. Everyone just needs to calm down a little...

http://log.emonk.net/post/2400609317/heres-the-simple-reason-why-an-app-that-costs-two

well not sure I agree with the rules in the first place but it is there in the link ^

ironically the removal has caused far more interest than the allowing it in

 

[Apple OC]

so you dont think a goverment should take any blame for having that sort of info available internally so freely that a private can get access to it with no problem.
not only that but copy the information and remove it from the building , none of that even worries you just what the information states

When one signs up to serve and defend their country, they sign things that say they will be committed to said causes. If anyone then decides they do not want to be part of the Military ... they can quit. No need to try to take down the ship at the same time ... that is when you bring risk and danger to the devoted ones who choose to stay on course.

IMO ... when transparency is brought to Wikileaks themselves and we find out what their true motivation i$ ... common sense will prevail.

Some people have already mentioned my next point here ... I challenge anyone to give me even the smallest rational reason anyone should leak the location or any information related to Nuclear Facilities. This information serves zero useful purpose other than to possibly aid Terrorism and DOES put people's lives in Danger.

Apple did the right thing. I cannot believe it was on there in the first place.

 

[whatever]

LMAO, talk about trying to get some free press. This is not a rumor, this just a lame MacRumors attempt to get some mainstream press!

Where is the story? That Apple pulled an App that violated their terms? Shouldn't we have a few more hundred of these stories?

The one thing that WikiLinks documents showed us is that the U.S. State Department is doing it's job! Congratulations Hillary Clinton and team.

 

[Yaboze]

VP Biden said it's one thing for someone to drop a stack of memo's on Assange's desk and say "here you go" and it's another if Assange sought conspirators to leak the information. They have not determined how involved he is in these leaks.

I see this App as someone trying to capitalize on Wikileaks being the spotlight, maybe Apple does, too.

I wouldn't be surprised if they allowed a "Free" version, you can hit the site with Safari anyway.

 

[darkplanets]

I always found the pay for something free model amusing to say the least.

 

[kiljoy616]

Booooooooooooooooo! Leave it up, Apple.

Free speech! Be an American Company, not a puppet of the government!

Government called, can't leave it up, we need to keep reality away from people.

 

[chaosbunny]

When one signs up to serve and defend their country, they sign things that say they will be committed to said causes. If anyone then decides they do not want to be part of the Military ... they can quit. No need to try to take down the ship at the same time ... that is when you bring risk and danger to the devoted ones who choose to stay on course.

So, if one works in the military and becomes a witness of war crimes being committed, is it not his moral duty to bring the guilty ones to court?

 

[Henri Gaudier]

i'm surprised, but pleased.
yea apple.
boo assange.

François Rabelais had much of his work censored / banned by the state and other powerful cartels like the Roman Catholic Church. He spent time in hiding too; fearful that his work would land him in prison or worse. He was essentially a humanist. I would have thought someone with your chosen moniker would deliberate more deeply on things.

 

[Apple OC]

So, if one works in the military and becomes a witness of war crimes being committed, is it not his moral duty to bring the guilty ones to court?

Are you implying the whole US Military is committing war crimes?

 

[chaosbunny]

If you do not like what your government is doing, perhaps you have elected the wrong group of people.

As if what party is elected makes any actual difference.

Are you implying the whole US Military is committing war crimes?

Did I say that? No. Read my question again please.

 

[snberk103]

...There's a reason that certain items are not meant for public release. You are extremely ignorant if you don't realize that keeping certain information classified allows us to enjoy our freedom and prevent foreign entities from infringing on it.
...

There were over 2 million people (some sources say as much as 2.5 million) who are cleared for this level of "classified", and who therefore potentially could have accessed the same documents. Do you really think that "foreign entities" haven't been reading what the US Government had to say about them before now?

The real impact will be on future US intelligence activities. It has now been confirmed that the consular side of American Diplomatic missions are as deeply involved in espionage as the, um, shady side of the building.

Foreign counter-espionage services will, potentially, be able to identify unknown leaks in their home territories. This will apply to both Allies and Enemies. And of course, they will be able to confirm which sources who are feeding false intelligence to the US are trusted by the US, and which ones are being ignored.

And please save us this "Freedom" c**p. How does spying on your allies, who are democratic, free and open societies, preserve "freedom".

ps We spy on you too. We just don't wrap ourselves in flag doing it...

 

[Earendil]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Why would any government help out in leaking their own classified documents?

I am sorry, but wikileaks should be smart enough to realize not to leak locations deemed important for national security without our governments help.

so you dont think a goverment should take any blame for having that sort of info available internally so freely that a private can get access to it with no problem.
not only that but copy the information and remove it from the building , none of that even worries you just what the information states

I don't think the government is any more to blame then Apple would be if an employee walked out with their secret documents, or a house guest rummaged through my file cabnet/computer and walked off with information. I'm sure the government will do something about it, tighten security, probably make working in that environment a pain in the ares for all the trustworthy employees.

As for wikileaks, my only problem them is their disgression. Many things they do are up for debate, but the one thing in my mind that isn't is that wikileaks broke ethics. The only thing (good) news organizations do is filter the massive amount of info they get down to what is relevant, down to what matters. Report the good, the bad, and the illegal, and do so with a set of ethics. If I thought my releasing 250,000 pages was going to cause incredibly danger and death to inoccent people, I'd rethink my strategy. So what if the government didn't assist him, at that point wikileaks is just being lazy. How many days of work is one life worth? Apparently for these guys, not even a few minutes. That's why I don't like this whole mess. They could have filtered these documents for illegal US activities, just like any proper criminal investigation. But they didn't, because they don't care. They have zero vested interest in US politics and its people.

 

[kiljoy616]

LMAO, talk about trying to get some free press. This is not a rumor, this just a lame MacRumors attempt to get some mainstream press!

Where is the story? That Apple pulled an App that violated their terms? Shouldn't we have a few more hundred of these stories?

The one thing that WikiLinks documents showed us is that the U.S. State Department is doing it's job! Congratulations Hillary Clinton and team.

Oh look its Gov. boy. How dare we know reality that scary.

 

[Ironduke]

Heres hoping the hackers that Hit Visa and co.

Kick Apple in the Tezzies Next!

Yeah Gitsum

 

[jtara]

The rules are pretty clear: you can't make a claim that a part of the proceeds from sale of an app go to charity. Apple doesn't want to get in the middle of trying to verify that.

I believe that's the same reason why the "city council shooter purse" (the purse that a female employee used to whack the guy on the head) was pulled from eBay, as they have a similar policy. (Though apparently it's been put back - perhaps the charity claim was removed?)

Without that rule, imagine how much fraud would go on.

 

[*LTD*]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8C148)

It's classified gov't information. Why on earth do you think Apple would be caught aiding in the distribution of it? Duh.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Freedom Speech?? This is not a matter of Freedom of Speech. Classified documents are just that - classified. There's a reason that certain items are not meant for public release. You are extremely ignorant if you don't realize that keeping certain information classified allows us to enjoy our freedom and prevent foreign entities from infringing on it.

Also, the release of the info by WL has endangered the lives of dozens of people who are risking their lives for our freedom and way of life. Once again, if you don't realize that, then you've got some serious cognitive impairments.

For most things I'm all about transparency. However, I'm not so ignorant to think that everything should be public knowledge.

First intelligent post.

 

[dscuber9000]

Apple doesn't want to appear to endorse potentially dangerous information leaks, like any legitimate company? HOW DARE THEY!