Apple will investigate app that lets Saudi men track and control women | Hacker News Reader

Apple will investigate app that lets Saudi men track and control women

theverge.com

26 pointsthirdsun5 comments

> "But obviously we’ll take a look at it if that’s the case.”

Take a look and what? If the app does do what everyone says it does (including the Saudis) will Apple remove the app?

it means that probably they know that they might have to update privacy policies and app policies and thus putting it out there that yes it's being investigated and yes there will be changes forthcoming

They won't do jack, just like with China where they handed over all of iCloud to a govt. owned company, while simultaneously making "privacy" a selling point of Apple devices. Instead, they'll patently lie, and go on a P.R. offensive on Apple's (fake) moral superiority.

And how could Apple ever defy the likes of China and Sauds, when their militant control of the iOS walled garden is modeled after totalitarian regimes, like Saudi Arabia?

This case is different from that. In the Chinese case, they are complying with the legal request of a government. They are required by local law to answer that request.

But Apple is not required to distribute an app just because it's legal under local laws. There are all kinds of legal things you can't make an app for in the US. Apple is within its legal rights to say, "you can't distribute that app on our platform."

Do you see the difference?

Apple was within it's right to stop sales of the iPhone in China, and protect Chinese citizen's privacy - and follow through with it's pompous advertising on privacy protection. But it chose to abandon privacy, morals and ethics, and remain in the country.

Apple's selective enforcement is indicative of the impact on it's bottom line. If banning the Saudi app leads to a ban on iPhones in Saudi, Apple will gladly cower to the kingdom for more money, as it has demonstrated with China.

Apple DOESN'T care about morals, or it's customers or the horse shit rules governing it's store - it just needs a worthy adversary to put it in it's place, else it'll gladly be the biggest bully in the playground, and claim moral authority while doing so.

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