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Apple has eliminated Quran Majeed, a well-liked app for studying the Islamic spiritual textual content and different prayer-related data, in China, in compliance with Chinese language authorities requests, in line with a report by BBC. The transfer comes as a part of an even bigger shift within the nation to crack down on overseas content material, or just making it tougher for that content material to exist throughout the Nice Firewall. Simply yesterday, LinkedIn stated that it will be eradicating the Chinese language model of its website by the top of this yr within the face of rising compliance necessities by the state.
Some of the fashionable spiritual apps in China, Quran Majeed is accessible globally and has roughly 35 million customers.
The Quran Majeed app stays obtainable in different international locations on the App Retailer, and on Google Play — though Google Play is technically additionally not obtainable in China (individuals can entry it by way of a VPN, nevertheless).
The Apple Censorship web site, which displays apps on Apple’s App Retailer, was the primary to note that Quran Majeed was lately deleted.
China formally acknowledges Islam as a faith but it surely has additionally confronted criticism for human rights violations and genocide in opposition to the Muslim-majority Uyghur inhabitants in Xinjiang.
We’ve contacted Apple for a touch upon this story and can replace this publish as we study extra.
Apple has confronted loads of controversy through the years over the way it complies with native guidelines. Critics consider many native content-focused laws in sure international locations quantity to censorship, and Apple is just too fast to conform. Apple argues that its first precedence is to respect legal guidelines of the international locations during which it operates, regardless of whether or not or not it agrees with the laws.
Apple’s human rights coverage states: “We’re required to adjust to native legal guidelines, and at instances there are complicated points about which we might disagree with governments.”
There’s consistency in what Apple will do, it appears. In line with a report in The New York Instances in Might, Apple will take down an app in China if the app in query discusses sure banned subjects, together with Tiananmen Sq., the Chinese language non secular motion Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama, and independence for Tibet and Taiwan.
There are added problems for Apple as a enterprise that time to the corporate persevering with to observe state guidelines: China is considered one of Apple’s largest markets, and Apple additionally closely depends on the nation to maintain its {hardware} provide chain working.
Quran Majeed just isn’t the one app to face elimination from China’s Apple App Retailer. Olive Tree’s Bible App was additionally withdrawn in China this week. Olive Tree claims that Apple proactively took it down.
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