New website shows Apple's censored China apps
- 5 years ago
BEIJING — A new website has developed a search engine specifically to expose which apps have been blocked by Apple's App Store in China, reports The Intercept.
AppleCensorship.com is a website that monitors censorship in over 150 iOS App Stores. The website was created by a Chinese non-profit organization called GreatFire.org. This organization is dedicated to monitoring China's Internet censorship and creating tools to fight against it.
They have developed apps like FreeBrowser and FreeBooks which lets users access uncensored books and news in China along with other websites promoting freedom of speech.
Their newest website comes as a response to Apple's 'collaboration' with China. In 2017, the tech giant removed more than 600 virtual private network apps that allow users to browse the web without being under the eye of Big Brother.
In an interview with The Intercept, GreatFire.org co-founder, Charlie Smith said that the 'top 100 VPN apps in the U.S. app store are all not available in the China app store.' Not surprising.
Currently, Apple has also blocked apps from media outlets including the New York Times, Tibetan News and Voice of Tibet. They have also blocked Bitter Winter, an application that shares news about religious freedom in China and another app managed by the Central Tibetan Authority.
Smith also commented on Apple 's role in censorship in China stating, 'Apple provides little transparency into what it censors in its app store. Most developers find out their app has been censored after they see a drop in China traffic and try to figure out if there is a problem. We wanted to bring transparency to what they are censoring.'
AppleCensorship.com is a website that monitors censorship in over 150 iOS App Stores. The website was created by a Chinese non-profit organization called GreatFire.org. This organization is dedicated to monitoring China's Internet censorship and creating tools to fight against it.
They have developed apps like FreeBrowser and FreeBooks which lets users access uncensored books and news in China along with other websites promoting freedom of speech.
Their newest website comes as a response to Apple's 'collaboration' with China. In 2017, the tech giant removed more than 600 virtual private network apps that allow users to browse the web without being under the eye of Big Brother.
In an interview with The Intercept, GreatFire.org co-founder, Charlie Smith said that the 'top 100 VPN apps in the U.S. app store are all not available in the China app store.' Not surprising.
Currently, Apple has also blocked apps from media outlets including the New York Times, Tibetan News and Voice of Tibet. They have also blocked Bitter Winter, an application that shares news about religious freedom in China and another app managed by the Central Tibetan Authority.
Smith also commented on Apple 's role in censorship in China stating, 'Apple provides little transparency into what it censors in its app store. Most developers find out their app has been censored after they see a drop in China traffic and try to figure out if there is a problem. We wanted to bring transparency to what they are censoring.'