Apple has released a formal statement asserting its company’s commitments to human rights and freedom of speech. Apple says it believes in the “critical importance of an open society” and “the best way we can continue to promote openness is to remain engaged, even where we may disagree with a country’s laws”.
A group of investors had voiced concerns about how much Apple defers to China’s censorship demands, such as removing VPN apps from the App Store or moving citizen’s iCloud data to Chinese-controlled data centers. However, Apple’s new statement does not really mean it is going to change how it operates. The company says it will follow local laws as it has always done, which means it will have to continue locking down the iPhone and other Apple devices in China, until Chinese laws change.
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