Apple’s Silence in China Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Apple’s Silence in China Sets a Dangerous Precedent
Apple’s only public statement on the VPN ban said that the company had been "required to remove some VPN apps in China
that do not meet the new regulations," but noted that the "apps remain available in all other markets where they do business." Despite the pulldown, Apple says there are still hundreds of VPN apps available on its Chinese app store, some of which remain unregistered with the government.
Apple pulled down several VPN apps — programs that allow iPhone users to bypass
the Chinese government’s censorship apparatus — from its Chinese App Store.
There is also a moral defense of Apple’s decision to give in without a public fight: Despite the VPN
ban, Chinese internet users might still be better off with Apple in China than with it outside.
Early this year, Apple pulled down The New York Times app in the Chinese App Store,
and both Apple and Google removed the LinkedIn app from their Russian app stores.
Whatever Apple may have done in private to fight the Chinese internet law, the company has not offered a peep of criticism in public.
And Apple’s own communications apps in China remain free of government censorship.
For instance, Messages, Apple’s texting app, and FaceTime, its video
and phone-calling app, are protected by end-to-end encryption, allowing Chinese users to communicate freely.
And they’re a global company, upholding standards of privacy and speech in many, many markets outside China.