A Little Trouble In Big China

From tariff battles to app takedowns, Apple continues to enjoy an uneasy relationship with China. Why?

- ROB MEAD-GREEN

A Apple’s decision to withdraw an app from its Hong Kong App Store in October should, on the face of it, have been uncontroversial – it regularly reviews and removes apps from its App Stores worldwide, often because apps have violated its App Store policies in some way. The removal of HKmap. live was different – this was an app that was being used by human rights protestors in Hong Kong to help them avoid law enforcement. Only Apple said the app was being used to target police officers instead. In a statement Apple argued:

“We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps. We have learned that an app, HKmap.live, has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong. Many concerned customers in Hong Kong have contacted us about this app and we immediately began investigating it. The app displays police locations and we have verified with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau (CTCB) that the app has been used to target and ambush police, threaten public safety, and criminals have used it to victimise residents in areas where they know there is no law enforcement. This app violates our guidelines and local laws, and we have removed it from the App Store.”

Sound fair enough? The problem is the takedown was immediately condemned by both the developer and human rights activists in Hong Kong. HKmap. live said on Twitter: “We disagree @Apple and @hkpolice’s claim that HKMap App endanger [sic] law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong.”