Apple pulls some Russian apps from app store

[Cmaier]

Apple pulls top Russian social media app from App Store | AppleInsider

Apple has removed Russia's largest social network app, VKontakte, from the App Store — as well as a host of other apps by the developer.

appleinsider.com

 

[Colstan]

While I doubt this will have much overall impact, Apple was the first major tech company to pull out of Russia, forcing others to copy what they do, as is tradition. So, I applaud Apple for tightening the screws wherever possible.

 

[Cmaier]

While I doubt this will have much overall impact, Apple was the first major tech company to pull out of Russia, forcing others to copy what they do, as is tradition. So, I applaud Apple for tightening the screws wherever possible.

I’m wondering if it is something specific to this developer - some sort of rules violation - rather than just “let’s do something about russia.”

 

[lizkat]

I’m wondering if it is something specific to this developer - some sort of rules violation - rather than just “let’s do something about russia.”

I don't know what to think really. Seems to be an assumption in the decision to pull the apps that the users are all fans of Putin's decision to invade Ukraine and keep trying now to annex part of it before probably falling back to claim victory and safeguarding of Russia or whatever.

But from all we can read now of Russian reaction to the mobilization, plenty of people are not fans of this extended aggressive adventure.

So how can it be great to take apps down when we don't know when some might be useful to people in Russia with different viewpoints... unless maybe Apple is aware that Russian security forces can track in great detail the "who what and where" of people using them, or more easily access content referenced or created.

Everything gets more complicated in war. One more advertisement for not starting one up.

 

[Cmaier]

I don't know what to think really. Seems to be an assumption in the decision to pull the apps that the users are all fans of Putin's decision to invade Ukraine and keep trying now to annex part of it before probably falling back to claim victory and safeguarding of Russia or whatever.

But from all we can read now of Russian reaction to the mobilization, plenty of people are not fans of this extended aggressive adventure.

So how can it be great to take apps down when we don't know when some might be useful to people in Russia with different viewpoints... unless maybe Apple is aware that Russian security forces can track in great detail the "who what and where" of people using them, or more easily access content referenced or created.

Everything gets more complicated in war. One more advertisement for not starting one up.

Yeah, I’m thinking it may have something to do with apple learning about - let’s call it a “privacy violation” - in the apps. For example, as a hypothetical, imagine it could track the locations of fighting age men who might be approaching international borders…

 

[Cmaier]

Now we know why.

Sham referendums in Ukraine see Apple pull major Russian apps from the store

The Russian government’s decision to hold sham referendums in Ukraine has seen Apple pull a number of major apps in response to new sanctions. Popular Russian apps removed from the App Store worldwide include Mail.ru and Facebook competitor VK. The latter is one of the apps the Russian...

9to5mac.com

 

[Yoused]

I don't know what to think really.

I kind of do: if an app is being used to facilitate grievous harm with no means of moderating the harm, and the calculation is that the enormity of the harm outweighs the net positive use of the app, Apple should indeed pull it. However, as far as I know, the app store does not have the means to disable a previously installed app, unless their servers can send a revocation of certificate to make the app fail to launch – if the app cannot be disabled in this way, pulling it is just theatre.

 

[lizkat]

I kind of do: if an app is being used to facilitate grievous harm with no means of moderating the harm, and the calculation is that the enormity of the harm outweighs the net positive use of the app, Apple should indeed pull it. However, as far as I know, the app store does not have the means to disable a previously installed app, unless their servers can send a revocation of certificate to make the app fail to launch – if the app cannot be disabled in this way, pulling it is just theatre.

We're talking about a country that has elected to stage a referendum at gunpoint in four provinces of a sovereign neighbor, so even if Apple's move is largely theatre, I'm not surprised it pulled the apps. Anyway otherwise who knows, the apps could be used to ID their newest downloaders, a category perhaps of particular interest to Russia.

 

[Cmaier]

I kind of do: if an app is being used to facilitate grievous harm with no means of moderating the harm, and the calculation is that the enormity of the harm outweighs the net positive use of the app, Apple should indeed pull it. However, as far as I know, the app store does not have the means to disable a previously installed app, unless their servers can send a revocation of certificate to make the app fail to launch – if the app cannot be disabled in this way, pulling it is just theatre.

Yes, apple can kill the developer’s distribution certificate, and the app will eventually stop working on everyone’s devices. It has happened at least once before, but I can’t recall the specifics.