China is a huge market. Anyone who spoils it with the rulers in Beijing, runs the risk to ruin his business. Apple has now taken in Hong Kong a Tracking App from the market, the China was a thorn in the eye.
A map of the city of Hong Kong: Cute dog icons in it, even the Pictograms of cameras, and also fire trucks and police cars. If you click on it, get notes, such as “alert” or “dog wagon parked”. HKmap shows on the Internet and on mobile phones live, what to watch Hong Kong in your city – specifically: where the police forces are in use. Previously, Apple users could download the Smartphone program from the App Store in the US group to your phone. However, this is now: Apple remote, according to Chinese criticism of the App from its service.
Officially it is called from the group’s headquarters in California, “many concerned users in Hong Kong” had contacted Apple. Subsequently, an investigation had been launched. It turns out that the App was used in a manner that constitutes a danger to the security forces and the residents of the special economic zone. The App, as Apple had been used to lure cops into ambushes. Criminals have used the program in addition to bully residents in neighborhoods, “where they know that there is no law enforcement”.
HKmap developers fight back
The developers of HKmap criticize in the short message service Twitter the decision of the U.S. group: “We reject the statement by Apple and the Hong Kong police, the HKmap-App endangers the law enforcement and local residents in Hong Kong.” HKmap have never asked to commit a felony or crime promoted. The App to give only information obtained from users and from publicly available sources. For the allegations, there is no evidence.
Interactive Hong Kong map HKmap: “information from users and from publicly available sources”
For the past five months, citizens demonstrate in Hong Kong against their government and the growing influence of the Communist leadership in Beijing. The Hong Kong police went increasingly against the protests, was among other things, the use of tear gas.
Apple HKmap-spell was preceded by harsh criticism from Beijing: The Communist party organ “people’s daily” accused the iPhone maker to support the protesters in Hong Kong. The US technology group, to offer with HKmap a mobile traffic application that the activists of the locations of police, criticized the blade on Wednesday. This makes it the protesters will be easier to participate in violent actions.
“Apple’s agreement to all of the App helps, of course, the looters. What is the actual intention?”, the sheet wrote. The release of the App for iPhones there was previously a political controversy, after the application was first rejected by Apple. Apple let the App, then, finally, what was then criticized by the Communist party.
Not the only case
Apple’s success is based to a significant extent on his business connections with China. The US group has in the past year, around 220 million Smartphones and many other devices in the people’s Republic of produce. Nearly 20 percent of its sales from Apple, in turn, is made in China.
Apple Store in Hong Kong (beginning of October): pressure from Beijing
It is not the only case in which Apple partners appears to be making in China kinking. As various media report, has banned the brand of the Taiwan Flag out of the Emoji range of its devices in Hong Kong. The flag of the breakaway island state, is banned in China.
In the past, has caved in to Apple several times the pressure from Beijing. So the company put out two years ago, many so-called VPN programs from its Chinese App Store, strict Internet Blocking could be circumvented in the country. Prior to that, Apple had been deleted at the request of the leadership in Beijing, the news App of the “New York Times” from its service in China.
The Apple spell does not mean the end for HKmap. In the Play Store for Android phones and as a Web App in the Internet, the application is still available – still.
AR/gri (rtr, ap, dpa)