Google, Apple cave to Pakistan pressure to take down apps by Ahmadiyya Muslims

Re:Google, Apple cave to Pakistan pressure to take down apps... by unethical_ban on Friday February 05, 2021 @03:20PM (#26040702)

>An alternate App Store operating in Pakistan would be subject to the same unjust laws as them.

Would they, though? How can you stop arbitrary APK downloads from the internet? Or a site that constantly changes its domain? Look at how blocking places like The Pirate Bay goes.

I think there is more to be said for the impact of Apple and Google leaving the Pakistani market than you grant.

Google is willing to leave the Australian market because they don't want to share revenues with the newspapers they skim for headlines, but they will suppress religious minorities to comply with theocratic governments.

These Western companies do not hold any values.

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Re:Google, Apple cave to Pakistan pressure to take down apps... by jpttsn on Friday February 05, 2021 @06:30PM (#26042531)

I’m missing something in this oft repeated argument. If non-App Store distribution is the solution, there’s Cydia (or whatever the kids these days use) right? And Android is “open”, isn’t it? Just like TPB, those should be hard to block. And if you want Apple to “sanction” this app distribution method, that gets you right back to the situation where Apple can be pressured by local governments.

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