Apple Pulls VPN Apps From China App Store As Russia Signs Law Banning Their Use

[citysnaps]

“Diversity” and “free expression” are only preached by Apple unless it’s NIMBY and the consumers keep coming, huh, Tim? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It seems you are not aware that laws are not the same from country to country around the world. And, that apps/software that are legal in the United States may not be legal in other countries. You may not agree with those and other laws, but if you want to do business those countries, you must not break their laws.

Also, you are probably not aware there is a much greater level of freedom of speech to strongly speak out on issues in the United States, essentially without limits and repercussions, compared to more restrictive and repressive countries.

I'm certain Apple tried to lobby those governments behind the scenes to effect change, but to no avail. Since this is an issue you feel very strongly about, you have stepped up and done so as well personally, right?

 

[justperry]

Still, my observations stands. Apple sacrified human rights and freedom of speech for their freedom of selling devices. Getting fired or not, that is just the facts.

Maybe you don't understand, you clearly said Tim has double standards, this is true, but what do you expect him to do, resign!

I don't necessarily disagree with you on his standards, the fact remains, every CEO of every big company is the same, double standards.

 

[nicho]

Still, my observations stands. Apple sacrified human rights and freedom of speech for their freedom of selling devices. Getting fired or not, that is just the facts.

PS: Regarding quotes, I hate when folks posts quotes after quotes, it takes space and brings visual noise. When quoting your name, and the first sentence, you know which post Im answering.

PPS: To forum moderators: This is on-topic, the discussion around the matter of Apple caving in on pulling VPN apps from certain markets, the reasoning and consequenses, are relevant to the article.

This may be off topic but MacRumors collapses long quotes for a reason...

To bring it back on topic, be thankful MacRumors hasn't banned your opinion, lest you have to go and post it on AppleInsider or Engadget.

 

[spiffers]

be thankful MacRumors hasn't banned your opinion

Why would I be thankful for that? Give me one reason why my opinion should be banned.

 

[nicho]

Why would I be thankful for that? Give me one reason why my opinion should be banned.

Well on a practical level, posting about "quoting preferences" could easily be on their undesirable list of posts.

On another level, it was a joke about the topic matter at hand.

 

[manu chao]

This is quite a bit different from the fight with the FBI.

2. Blocking VPNs is nothing compared to going thermo nuclear with what the FBI wanted, which was a skeleton key.

VPN apps are one way to encrypt communication. Using messaging apps with end-to-end encryption is another way. Banning the former is thus not too dissimilar to the latter (actually VPN apps have a broader scope but vulnerable at the VPN provider level). Getting a skeleton key is another step up as it not only opens up communications but also any local data and overrides all other forms of encryption that occur on a device.

 

[spiffers]

Well on a practical level, posting about "quoting preferences" could easily be on their undesirable list of posts.

On another level, it was a joke about the topic matter at hand.

Thanks

 

[CrystalQuest76]

RIM's Blackberry famously used an encryption technology that dictactorships and monarchies did not like. A number of them threatened RIM's profits by threatening to ban the sale and use of the products in their countries unless RIM gave up the encryption.
Then magically those countries and RIM came to an agreement that allowed the product to be sold.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-blackberry-emirates-idUSTRE6970S320101008

First and foremost, RIM, Apple, Microsoft, Google are profit oriented companies, where the executives want to make massive amounts of money. They are going to do everything to ensure that they can sell their products/services in as many countries as possible. Considering the massive numbers of potential customers living in dictatorships and monarchies, that means that those company executives will ignore any sort of morality they were raised with and do what they have to to sell in those markets. Lets not forget that Apple is also dependent on the continued ability to have their products manufactured in China.

Its all about the money.

 

[etoiles]

Also worth mentioning: in China, ALL apps have to be published by a 'local' company and get approval from the government. It is not (yet) 100% enforced, but that is the law.

 

[vladi]

Also worth mentioning: in China, ALL apps have to be published by a 'local' company and get approval from the government. It is not (yet) 100% enforced, but that is the law.

Well in all honesty that's how you protect and build the market. All western economies have done exactly the same before they went on international free market BS.

 

[Kaibelf]

Those things are only important to Tim until they affect the bottom line. He's had no problems dealing with dictatorships, countries that trample civil rights and rap stars who have abused women.

Give it a rest. His job is to protect the bottom line, not set policy for a foreign county or shut down the business because you disagree with a sovereign country’s laws.

 

[VulchR]

Maybe it's time for Apple to pull the plug on selling devices in the PRC and Russia. That alone would sow considerable desire for change.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Saying that the Russian government seeks to suppress information that it "disagrees with" wins the soft-peddle of the year award. What they suppress, in a comprehensive way, is virtually all forms of political opposition to Putin and his fellow kleptocrats.

 

[jw2002]

I was in China this April and had no problem using VPNs there. I suspect that they would rather block the apps instead of the IPs because the IPs can keep on changing.

 

[nicho]

Maybe it's time for Apple to pull the plug on selling devices in the PRC and Russia. That alone would sow considerable desire for change.

Maybe it's time for China to pull the plug on making devices for American companies. That alone would sow considerable desire to tow the line. Remember, Designed by Apple in California. Made in China.

How would Apple fare if it's entire supply chain was pulled from under its feet overnight?

 

[nsayer]

So fundamentally, you either believe that the sorts of freedoms we Americans are used to are a fundamental human right that every person should have, or you believe that governments should have autonomy and not be judged by people who's culture and mores are completely foreign.

If you believe the former, then the logical conclusion brings rise to interventionist policies that - just for one example - have brought us the mess that is the Middle East today.

If you believe the latter, then the logical conclusion brings rise to isolationist policies that - just for one example - have brought us the mess that is the Middle East today.

 

[Kaibelf]

Maybe it's time for Apple to pull the plug on selling devices in the PRC and Russia. That alone would sow considerable desire for change.

You have an incredibly inflated notion about a smartphone’s influence. Are you serious? What do you think would happen? The regular citizens of Russia and China would overthrow their respective governments because they can’t buy a MacBook or iPhone? Ludicrous.

 

[Juicy Box]

At least Communism brought China to second largest economy...

Do people actually believe this? This has got to be a troll....

 

[Jetfire]

LOL...If Apple wants to do business in China and Russia, Apple need and must obey and respect China and Russia respective law.

If Tim or any think vaule is more important, then learn from Google, pull out from China and Russia.

I don't think Chinese and Russian citizen will give a damn, overall, iPhone's market share in China is low.

China is Apple's second biggest market after US.
But yes Tim is a Hypocrite, he didn't like North Carolina's Bathroom law and made a big stink about it. But any country that does worse things and he bends of backwards for them.

 

[VulchR]

Maybe it's time for China to pull the plug on making devices for American companies. That alone would sow considerable desire to tow the line. Remember, Designed by Apple in California. Made in China.

How would Apple fare if it's entire supply chain was pulled from under its feet overnight?

Devices can be made outside of the PRC, with SK, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, India, and US coming to mind... Indeed the more manufactured outside of the PRC the better - why feed the dragon when we can create jobs and growth in our own country and the countries of nations friendly to us?
[doublepost=1501517101][/doublepost]

You have an incredibly inflated notion about a smartphone’s influence. Are you serious? What do you think would happen? The regular citizens of Russia and China would overthrow their respective governments because they can’t buy a MacBook or iPhone? Ludicrous.

Many people in Russia and the PRC already do not like their governments. It would just add an additional incentive for change. I seem to recall that desire for modern consumer goods was one of the motivators for the fall of the USSR.

 

[nicho]

Devices can be made outside of the PRC, with SK, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, India, and US coming to mind... Indeed the more manufactured outside of the PRC the better - why feed the dragon when we can create jobs and growth in our own country and the countries of nations friendly to us?

Factories take time to set up. Almost all of Apple's eggs are in one basket. How many assembly factories does it use outside of China, aside from the one in Brazil? By the time Apple creates a new supply chain capable of feeding demand, the iphone 8 ship will long have sailed and apple would be dead in the water.

 

[Jetfire]

Not that I agree with this blanket banning of VPNs, most Chinese nationals that actually care about getting through the firewall will have an international Apple ID, just to get access to the USA and other app stores, so this makes little difference. There's a thousand different ways to get past the firewall, but the methods keep changing because of the (slow) cat and mouse game that the Government play with internet users.

At the end of the day, if a user is intelligent and educated enough to get through to foreign or banned content, then they are probably trustworthy enough to be able to handle a differing perspective and use that knowledge in a responsible manner.

You haven't kept up with the latest info. Yes it's been a cat and mouse game but this latest move is a whole new ball game by China. Check out All Foreigner will leave China -China Bans VPNS?

 

[LovingTeddy]

Do people actually believe this? This has got to be a troll....

I was meant to be Communist paety...

 

[weup togo]

but what's even worse is idiots who can't be trusted not to spread fake news and create mass panic... How would America feel about 1 and a half billion angry Chinese people raining down on them?

Oh no, people are wrong, let's drop the full might of the police state on them. Absolutely disgusting.

And what exactly are all those angry chinamen going to do to Americans in the few hours that they're wrong? Absolutely nothing. Go back to Taiwan.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Devices can be made outside of the PRC, with SK, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, India, and US coming to mind... Indeed the more manufactured outside of the PRC the better - why feed the dragon when we can create jobs and growth in our own country and the countries of nations friendly to us?
[doublepost=1501517101][/doublepost]

Many people in Russia and the PRC already do not like their governments. It would just add an additional incentive for change. I seem to recall that desire for modern consumer goods was one of the motivators for the fall of the USSR.

Yes... Many people in PRC do not like their government. I highly doubt there will be changes in government.

There is no incentive to change. We Chinese have everything we need. No YouTube, we have You, No Google, we have Baidu. No tiwtter, we have Sina Weibo. No Google Map, we have Baidu Map.

Tell me what inncentive for people ask for change. They are not gonna risk loosing already good life for potential disaster.

By the way... There aren't a revolution you thought of when Google decided to pull out China. There was a survey that taken regarding WeChat and iPhone. There was a dispute between China's Tencent and Apple regarding with in app purchase and Apple's 30% cut. There was rumors that Tencent will pull WeChat out of App Store. People are overwhelming responded that they rather give up iPhone than WeChat.