The iPhone surges despite a smartphone slump, while China flexes its censorship powers in Hong Kong. Plus, our podcast gets a special guest.
Censorship
Apple Puts Limits on Receiving Files via AirDrop From ‘Everyone,’ but Only In China
In iOS 16.1.1, Apple has included a unique “feature” for iPhone owners in China, a limitation in the AirDrop file-sharing settings.
Apple Keeps App Store Open for Russia, Sparks Controversy
As Apple continues to keep its App Store open in Russia, ethical arguments begin to rise as Russia censorship continues.
Apple Bans Keyboard App Used to Bypass Chinese Censorship
On Thursday, Apple removed “Boom the Encryption Keyboard” from the App Store. People used it to bypass censorship in China.
TikTok Censors Posts by People it Deems Ugly or Poor
Chinese app TikTok told its moderators to censor posts from users deemed too ugly, poor, or disabled.
…according to internal documents obtained by The Intercept. These same documents show moderators were also told to censor political speech in TikTok livestreams, punishing those who harmed “national honor” or broadcast streams about “state organs such as police” with bans from the platform.
‘The Uncensored Library’ Bypasses Censorship in Minecraft
Reporters Without Borders created The Uncensored Library inside of Minecraft as a way to bypass censorship.
Anyone can download the necessary map, and Minecraft‘s nature makes it easy to host another server if an oppressive country tries to take one down.
Hopefully all of us sharing news about it doesn’t kill it faster.
Proton Apps Receive Alternative Routing to Stop Censorship
Proton apps will get new alternative routing as a way to block attempts at censorship, whether it’s by governments, ISPs, or network admins.
iPads, Trackpads, China, and Censorship – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-28
This week we saw rumors of Apple releasing an iPad keyboard with a trackpad, and news that Apple will be requiring paid game developers to comply with Chinese censorship laws. Charlotte Henry and Bryan Chaffin join Dave Hamilton to sift through it all for you before the weekend. Press play and enjoy!
YouTube Calls Cryptocurrency Videos ‘Harmful Content’
In a crackdown called ‘The Crypto YouTube Carnage’ the company has been deleting cryptocurrency videos en masse, labeling them as “harmful or dangerous.”
As years’ worth of videos started disappearing from several crypto YouTubers’ channels, many began speculating about the giant’s motivations. Some believe that YouTube is sensing a rise of new, blockchain platforms that can compete for creators both by offering them better “job security” and a higher cut of earnings.
#BoycottApple Trends on Twitter After Company's Recent Moves
The hashtag #BoycottApple is trending on Twitter after Apple removed the HKMap and Quartz apps from the App Store at the behest of China.
Just after Apple removed the apps, #BoycottApple has been trending on all the social media platforms with users voicing their discontent with Apple’s move. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Apple has been under fire for pulling something like this. Back in 2017, the company pulled The New York Times app from the App Store stating that the Chinese government had requested the app’s removal because it was “in violation of local regulations.”
Phil Schiller: “Courage.”
Did China Ask Apple to Remove This Hong Kong Protest App?
Apple recently removed a Hong Kong protest app from the App Store, saying that it encouraged users to break the law.
White House Drafts Order to Investigate Alleged Social Media Left-Wing Bias
The White House is drafting an executive order that would address alleged left-wing bias by social media companies, with an official saying:
If the internet is going to be presented as this egalitarian platform and most of Twitter is liberal cesspools of venom, then at least the president wants some fairness in the system. But look, we also think that social media plays a vital role. They have a vital role and an increasing responsibility to the culture that has helped make them so profitable and so prominent.
A WH official actually used the phrase “liberal cesspools of venom.” What a trashy administration.
Cloudflare Ends 8Chan Service in Wake of Recent U.S. Shootings
The U.S. got a fresh wave of mass shootings over the weekend. A couple killers had posted their manifestos on 8Chan, and Cloudflare is ending its service for the website.
8chan is among the more than 19 million Internet properties that use Cloudflare’s service. We just sent notice that we are terminating 8chan as a customer effective at midnight tonight Pacific Time. The rationale is simple: they have proven themselves to be lawless and that lawlessness has caused multiple tragic deaths. Even if 8chan may not have violated the letter of the law in refusing to moderate their hate-filled community, they have created an environment that revels in violating its spirit.
Twitter Bans Dehumanizing Language Targeting Religion
Twitter is banning dehumanizing language aimed at religious groups. Users can no longer compare these groups to animals or other analogies.
Notably, though, the new rules do not address other groups that may be targeted by this type of hate speech. The company says it plans to eventually expand the policy to cover dehumanizing language that singles out others based on their race, gender, or sexual orientation, though it’s not clear how long that might take.
The Splinternet is Growing Bigger
The splinternet, also known as cyberbalkanization, refers to how governments split the World Wide Web into national internets.
It’s not just authoritarian countries trying to bend the global web to national values. The same social media companies that gave rise to unrest in the Middle East have come under fire in the West for allowing their services to be used to promote hatred and terrorism. In response, England and Australia have recently passed laws demanding tech firms provide easier access to web users’ communications.
Sometimes I think that in the future there will be no internet. There won’t be a web browser, there will just be apps that are easier to censor and control.
China Bans the Word ‘Leica’ Online
The Leica ad celebrating photojournalism sparked outcry in China because of Tiananmen Square. China banned the word “Leica” on social media.
This Website Exposes Apple Censorship in China
A new website called AppleCensorship.com exposes how the company censors apps in China at the behest of the government.
A new website exposes the extent to which Apple cooperates with Chinese government internet censorship, blocking access to Western news sources, information about human rights and religious freedoms, and privacy-enhancing apps that would circumvent the country’s pervasive online surveillance regime.
I’m a fan of Apple, privacy, and Apple’s stance on privacy. That being said I think whenever Apple mentions privacy on its website there should be an asterisk with fine print saying: “We believe privacy is a fundamental human right except in these cases.”
Tomorrow the EU Votes on the Future of the Internet
Tomorrow the EU will vote on the future of the internet. Specifically, a proposal involving copyrighted material that proves controversial.
Mr. Cook Goes to China, Sonos Meets Ikea, Apple Buys Pop Up Archive – ACM 440
Tim Cook took a recent trip to China, and some have accused him of endorsing Chinese censorship. Bryan and Jeff talk about how complicated doing business in China is. They also look at why Sonos and IKEA have announced a partnership, and what Apple’s purchase of Pop Up Archive might mean. Then they fall down the rabbit hole of TextArc.
Russia Follows China's Lead and Bans VPNs
Russia President Vladimir Putin signed a law this week banning virtual private networks, or VPNs, along with other tech that lets people surf the web anonymously, and it goes into effect on November 1st.
Apple Pulls VPN Apps from China App Store
Apple has capitulated to China’s internet control laws and removed VPN apps from the App store in the country.
Apple Runs Up Against State Censorship in China, Again
Apple is once again running into issues with state censorship in China. Chinese newspaper Xinhua reported Thursday that two different agencies will call Apple into their offices to demand Apple tighten up controls over streaming apps available in the App Store.
Control and Culture Clash in Iran over Mobile MMO 'Clash of Clans'
Iran is in the process of banning Clash of Clans, a move that epitomizes that country’s attempts to control culture clash and behavior. According to TechCrunch, the game has been pulled from a popular third party app store in Iran called Cafe Bazaar and will soon be pulled from its other legitimate source. Here’s what’s interesting to me: Clash of Clans has only officially been available for a month in Iran, and it’s being played by two-thirds of the mobile gaming community. Iran’s religious leaders have deemed it to too addictive and promotes both violence and tribal conflict. At the same time, the game was being played on the black market before its release, where it will still be available. It will be interesting to see if there’s any kind of backlash from the country’s mobile gamers. I’m far from an expert on Iran, but it’s hard to see how the country could possibly stop the world at its borders forever. Don’t get me wrong. Clash of Clans—like Game of War and every other successful MMO—are addictive. But I’ve yet to see a successful attempt to legislate addictive behavior. Below is the SuperBowl 2015 commercial for the game that is pretty darned amusing.