US lawmakers slam Apple for ‘censorship’ of apps at China’s behest

Bloomberg

US lawmakers from both parties slammed Apple Inc and Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook for “censorship of apps” at the “behest of the Chinese government.”
Senators Ted Cruz, Ron Wyden, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mike Gallagher and Tom Malinowski expressed concern about the removal of an app that let Hong Kong protesters track police movement in the city.
“Apple’s decisions to accommodate the Chinese government by taking down HKmaps is deeply concerning,” they wrote in a letter to Cook, urging Apple to “reverse course, to demonstrate that Apple puts values above market access, and to stand with the brave men and women fighting for basic rights and dignity in Hong Kong.” Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Apple removed the HKmap.live app from the App Store in China and Hong Hong earlier this month, saying it violated local laws.
The company also said it received “credible information” from Hong Kong authorities indicating the software was being used “maliciously” to attack police. The decision, and the reasoning, was questioned widely.
Cook, in a recent memo to Apple employees, said that “national and international debates will outlive us all, and, while important, they do not govern the facts.”
The CEO met with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation head Xiao Yaqing in Beijing to discuss consumer-rights protection, boosting investment and business development in the country, according to a statement from the Chinese regulator.
The Cupertino, California-based company isn’t the only one referenced in the letter.
The lawmakers mentioned recent headlines involving the National Basketball Association and Activision Blizzard Inc, a video game company that suspended a professional game player for supporting the Hong Kong protests.
“Cases like these raise real concern about whether Apple and other large US corporate entities will bow to growing Chinese demands rather than lose access to more than a billion Chinese consumers,” the lawmakers wrote.
They also slammed Apple for removing other apps, including VPN apps that helped Chinese people get around the government’s online censorship.
The letter said Apple has “censored” at least 2,200 apps in China, citing data from non-profit organisation GreatFire.