Apple's unlawful evil -- Corey Doctorow

[erronis]

https://pluralistic.net/2025/10/06/america-with-chinese-characteristics/#orphaned-syrian-refugees-need-not-apply

Apple has removed ICEBlock, a totally legal app that helps people track the movements of the masked snatch-squads who illegally terrorize brown people in America's cities, capitulating to a warrantless demand from Trump's DoJ boss Pam Bondi:

https://www.404media.co/iceblock-owner-after-apple-removes-app-we-are-determined-to-fight-this/

In killing ICEBlock, Apple insists that it is only complying with lawful orders, which is patently untrue. Pam Bondi has no authority to order the censorship of this legal speech tool, which is likely why she didn't seek a court order and instead merely rage-tweeted about it. This was sufficient to get Apple CEO Tim Cook, the billionaire who moved Apple's manufacturing to Chinese sweatshops where working conditions are so brutal that they require suicide nets, to cave in.

Apple does not permit its iPhone customers to install software unless it is delivered via their App Store. They claim they do so in order to protect their customers from their customers' own bad choices about which apps to install. But time and again, Apple has shown that they exercise this control over their users to pursue their own ends, blocking:

A dictionary (because it contained swear words);

A game that simulated working in an Apple sweatshop;

An informative app that cataloged civilian casualties of US drone strikes;

The Tumblr app because some Tumblr blogs contained adult content; and

Working VPN apps for the entire nation of China.

. . .

Google also gets its share of opprobrium.

[usonian]

1. Do not obey in advance

Historian Timothy Snyder’s first lesson in his book On Tyranny is “Do not obey in advance.” To obey a tyrant before you are compelled to do so teaches them what they will be able to get you to do, easily, without even needing to expend the resources and energy it takes to carry out that part of their agenda.

Tim Cook has been appropriately emailed.

[brakester]

2. Google is equally bad!

If you Google, " Is tr**p showing signs of dementia"

you no longer get one of those handy, accurate AI summaries.

Gee, what's that about?

You know AI has a liberal bias, don't you?

https://www.newsweek.com/are-donald-trump-dementia-searches-being-blocked-google-10816459

[usonian]

3. Google paid Trump $24.5M blackmail to settle his lawsuit.

Google to Pay $24.5 Million to End Trump Suit Over Jan. 6 Ban

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/google-pay-24-5-million-214136656.html

Thank you sir, May I have another?

No graphic this time. Having a busy day.