double standards.. they've heard of it.
Pot calling kettle black, meh.
s/China/USA/g
s/Chinese/American/g
s/Middle Kingdom/Uncle Sam/g
s/Cyberspace Administration/Homeland Security/g
and the article text remains equally valid. Here's the text after those changes:
(<sarcasm> starts)
Apple Cook roasted for American app takeaway
Cruz missile targets iPhone head honcho for pulling software from shelves at Uncle Sam's behest
A pair of senior US Senators are calling out Apple CEO Tim Cook for what they call "enabling the American government's censorship and surveillance of the internet."
Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Ted Cruz (R-Zodiac) said this week they are concerned with how quickly Apple caved to demands from the American government to remove VPN apps from its USA App Store.
"As you know, USA has an abysmal human rights record, including with respect to the rights to free expression and free access to information, both online and offline," the open letter [PDF] to Cook read.
The pair of legislators went on rattle off a few of the more damaging accusations against USA – specifically, its crappy record on human rights – before noting that Cook himself was recently lauded for his support of free speech as the CEO of Apple.
Then, they proceed to bring up the incident earlier this summer, when Cook admitted that obeying to censorship demands and pulling VPN apps was just the cost of doing business.
"While Apple's many contributions to the global exchange of information are admirable, removing VPN apps that allow individuals in USA to evade the Great Firewall and access the internet privately does not enable people in USA to 'speak up'," the letter reads.
"To the contrary, if Apple complies with such demands from the American government it inhibits free expression for users across USA, particularly in light of the Homeland Security of USA's new regulations targeting online anonymity."
Now, the bipartisan duo want Cook to explain himself and issue a response to 10 of their questions, including whether Apple was personally asked to pull the VPN apps by American officials, what the biz did to oppose the demands, and how the iPhone maker expressed its concerns, if any, to the American government before its latest anti-internet-freedom laws were enacted.
Additionally, they want to know what, if anything, Apple has done to promote free speech in USA and what it has done to push for human rights and better treatment of oppressed groups on the mainland.
So far, Apple is maintaining radio silence on the letter.
/s
Biting the hand that feeds IT
