In what may be the latest crackdown on "fake news", but is likely just China stifling even more contrarian voices, overnight Apple removed the New York Times English- and Chinese-language news apps from its iTunes store in China as a result of a "request" from the local authorities, the companies said separately on Thursday. The apps, which the newspaper said were removed on Dec. 23, are the latest Western services to fall foul of Chinese authorities, whose other scalps include Apple's own iBooks and iTunes Movies stores which have been blocked since April.
Person looking at a screen in Beijing showing an Apple iTunes store message saying that the NYT app is not available in the Chinese store, in China January 5, 2017.
According to Reuters, their removal comes just over a month after the Cyberspace Administration of China called for greater media scrutiny, citing fears of social disorder, moral harm and threats to national security. The internet regulator did not respond to a faxed request for comment about the Times' apps.
"The development of the internet in China must respect China's laws and regulations, in principle," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to a question about the apps.
New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told Reuters that the newspaper has asked Apple to reconsider.
"The request by the Chinese authorities to remove our apps is part of their wider attempt to prevent readers in China from accessing independent news coverage by The New York Times of that country," Murphy said. That, or protecting them from "fake news"... just kidding.
So far Apple has failed to "reconsider" as it well aware who is paying the big bills.
To be sure, China's vendetta with the NYT goes a way back. Beijing has blocked the Times' websites since 2012 after a series of articles on the wealth of the family of then-Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
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Meanwhile, Apple's statement was short and to the point: "We have been informed that the app is in violation of local regulations," Apple spokesman Fred Sainz in California told Reuters, and promptly complied with the removal request. Apple has previously removed news apps from its China app store, but none as high-profile as the New York Times. At least three other apps have been removed from the app store in recent years on the grounds of "illegal content", according to news reports and the apps' developers.
Apps from other international publications whose websites are blocked, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, were still available on Thursday.
While local mainstream media did not report the app's removal, it was discussed widely on social media: "This must be coming from the request of The Wall right?" said one user on microblogging service Weibo, referring to state-backed internet censorship. "Apple has made enough money in China, it's OK for it to take the blame this time for the sake of the money."
Other users said they would attempt to change their country of residence within the app store to restore access. While the New York Times' websites have been blocked, mirroring sites managed by anti-censorship advocates have periodically made their content available.