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Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

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Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#301
post #224
post #209

So it was fine when Apple banned Infowars but now it’s different? This is exactly what those free speech advocates meant when talking about slippery slopes: you either support free speech or censure. There is no middle ground. Disclaimer: I think Infowars is pure, evil sh*t.

I want what this guy is smoking because I want to believe the government is using chemicals to turn people and frogs gay.

“A 2002 study by Tyrone Hayes, of the University of California, Berkeley, found that exposure caused male tadpoles to turn into hermaphrodites”

- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrazine

A later study, funded by Syngenta itself, essentially said “nothing to see here, move along”.

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it's Belarus, the government is highly unpopular in the West and not really popular anywhere else. And it's not like China where they'd lose a giant market if they decided to stand up to the government, Belarus has a population of under 10m with an average income of under $6k a year. It might just be about doxxing, but the PR problem remains, of course.

the Belarus government is very popular in Russia ;-)

With the government, certainly. Are they also popular with the people, that is, would anyone switch away from iOs because Apple stood up to Belarus?

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#303

Whenever I was in a discussion on HN with Apple fanboys, who were saying how happy they are with no sideloading of apps on iOS, I was telling them to imagine if Apple will remove the app they need for some reason, like request from an authoritarian regime. In the future I'll be pointing not only to unavailability of chat apps in China, but also to this. Apple monopoly on iOS platform must be broken, and Apple should…

> Apple should be forced to

I think that the authorities cannot be expected to solve every problem in society there is. A better approach may be to educate people about the alternatives.

What Apple primarily wants, in my opinion, is to keep their users and their profits. Currently, it seems like they can take down apps for almost any reason, restrict independent repair of their devices by making the replacement parts and chips unavailable, force many simple-to-repair devices to be recycled instead of repaired, take huge cuts from the in-app purchase prices and more, with little to no impact on their sales or number of users.

I am wondering why is that the case. But apparently, most people do not care.

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In this case it is telegram which the government ought to need to compel. Or they could make Apple remove the telegram app. But that hasn’t happened

> Or they could make Apple remove the telegram app. Which is effective primarily because there’s no (practical) way to sideload on iOS! This is why I’ve always seen the locked-down nature of the iPhone as a threat to free expression first and foremost. Apple is responsible for setting the system up this way.

I don't fully buy this idea, because I've never seen an app become successfully widespread through side loading. The technical friction is just too high for non technical users.

I agree that we need a solution to monopolistic app stores though.

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#305
post #274
post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure that country can force Apple to comply with local laws. That’s how it works now.

So if an app shows an image of two men kissing, Apple should order the app makers to take it down worldwide because it's illegal in Uganda?

You state an excellent point and I would love to see the Apple fanboys argue your point.

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If China would threaten to ban iPhones, surely Apple will block websites. The difference is that governments can block websites without Apple approval. But governments can't block app content without blocking the entire AppStore, so they have to reach Apple.

This isn't how technology works. I feel weird saying something so obvious to me but- Servers/databases have IP addresses that can be blocked just as easy to stop and App.

Well, in the case of Telegram they've already tried pretty hard with the servers and databases route (hasn't worked).

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#307
Apple is more like a cult with totalitarian rule. Google is not too far behind.

Both track your every move/conversation and share ALL your data with government agencies via the PRISM surveillance program led by the NSA (Google joined PRISM in 2009; Apple in 2012).[1] These BigTech companies/PRISM members are beyond the law because they are defacto extensions of Big Brother Surveillance. If Apple were to make a PRISM break from membership, then it would likely receive lawsuits for tax evasion and monopoly behavior (antitrust). Understand the game?

Consider This About Apple:

• Apple uses offshore quasi-indentured-servant labor to bypass labor- and wage-laws;

• The rotten fruit evades the spirit of taxation by setting up shell companies in Ireland, tiny islands, Nevada, etc. to hoard billions of un-taxed dollars in these vehicles;

• The BigTech Global Company uses monopoly-like power to control its users behavior and even inserts forms of malware to make the OS perform slower and/or drain the battery to encourage users to upgrade their phone! . . .

>> Remember, freedom (Liberty) requires continual effort lest one becomes enslaved.

Google, to its credit, still provides open source software of the Android OS for anyone to port and modify. It’s called Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Anyone who makes a modest effort can install AOSP on a non-apple device – even many older phones.

There are a myriad of open-source and partial open-source custom ROMs that are often built using AOSP, but not exclusively – Ubuntu Touch, Replicant, Resurrection Remix, PureOS, LineageOS, TizenOS, ParanoidAndroid, KaiOS, PostmarketOS, etc.[2]

One may simply flash a custom ROM on their used or new non-Apple device. Take 30 minutes to read instructions on any number of tech forums such as xda-developers.com, for one example. What you will realize is stable custom ROMS are more secure than native stock OS by Apple and Google. And, one may modify the custom ROMS as any lover of freedom chooses.

There are also devices coming to market that have kill switches that disable cellular tracking by PRISM, etc.: Purism’s Librem 5, Pine64's PinePhone, OpenPandora’s DragonBox, etc. And, these organizations are honorable and community-driven, either partly or entirely.

So, just because a lot of people won’t make the tiny effort to liberate themselves from evil (and continue to justify a “walled garden” implemented by said evil rotten fruit), doesn’t mean the small number of people who choose liberty over security should be sacrificed at the alter of evil.

No laws or regulations are necessary. Vote with your dollars and actions.

Wake the Flock Up, People!

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program)

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_custom_Android_distrib...

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#308

I'm from Belarus. Honestly, I'm surprised Apple gives a shit. Now I'm worried that Apple can cooperate with local police in case they make inquiry. Am I safe? Here is the link to one group that uses ML to de-anonymize people: https://youtu.be/FAJIrnphTFg

Well, just like apple can auto remove applications that were pushed out from their app store, they certainly can install new application signed with privileged entitlements on your phone that can spy on you without you even knowing. Remember that when apple advertises that "built for security" garbage on you.

At least with most androids you can unlock the bootloader and install something like linageos and remove google services to stop their ability to spy on you.

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#309
post #259

Tim Cook’s twitter bio[1] has the following: > “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” - MLK Considering this and the HKmap.live[2] situations, I’d say that in his case the answer to that question is “not much”. [1]: https://twitter.com/tim_cook [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HKmap.live

I love when hypocrisy like this is exposed, and I would love it even more for Tim Apple to answer that question. Can we start a GoFundMe to have Tim answer it?

Re: Apple tells Telegram to take down protestor channels in Belarus

#310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Or they could make Apple remove the telegram app. Which is effective primarily because there’s no (practical) way to sideload on iOS! This is why I’ve always seen the locked-down nature of the iPhone as a threat to free expression first and foremost. Apple is responsible for setting the system up this way.

I don't fully buy this idea, because I've never seen an app become successfully widespread through side loading. The technical friction is just too high for non technical users. I agree that we need a solution to monopolistic app stores though.

This is somewhat circular reasoning though. Apple and Google have deliberately made it impossible or difficult to sideload to maximize profits.
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