Media

China state media take aim at Apple over Hong Kong map app


China’s state media have attacked Apple for a mapping app allegedly used by Hong Kong protesters at the same time that criticism of the NBA mounted over its officials’ comments on the demonstrations.

The influential People’s Daily said in a blog post late on Tuesday that Apple had “betrayed the feelings of the Chinese people” by approving the app HKmap.live, which crowdsources real-time locations of traffic obstructions, police and protesters in the territory. 

It also alleged Apple had “time after time” taken “inexplicable” actions related to the protests, with the Apple Music Store containing a song that advocated “Hong Kong independence”. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The developers of the map app had not hidden their malicious motive in providing ‘navigation’ for the rioters,” The People’s Daily wrote. “Apple chose to approve the app in the App Store in Hong Kong at this point. Does this mean Apple intended to be an accomplice to the rioters?”

The unnamed developer of HKMap.live said in a statement: “Protest is part of our freedom of speech and I don’t think the application is illegal in HK. It merely consolidates information that is already available in public domain, eg Telegram groups.”

The political crisis in Hong Kong, which began as opposition to an extradition law but has grown to include demands for universal suffrage, has ensnared a growing number of multinational companies.

Beijing is pressing companies to take a clear stand against the protests. But businesses also run the risk of offending consumers in Hong Kong and the west by backing the Communist party’s hardline approach against the movement.

The NBA in particular is struggling to stem the fallout on its business in China, the league’s fastest growing international market, over a quickly deleted tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey that said “stand with Hong Kong”. 

Chinese state media’s anger over the incident has quickly spread from the Rockets to the NBA as a whole. On Tuesday, China’s official media took aim at NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday, after he defended Mr Morey’s right to free speech. 

The Shanghai Sports Federation said in a statement on Wednesday that a “fan evening” event later that day was cancelled due to Mr Silver’s “inappropriate stance”.

“The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues,” Mr Silver had said in a statement. 

In response, state-run China Daily newspaper accused the NBA of supporting a “secessionist pipe dream” that Hong Kong protesters use to justify “hooliganism”. 

Other industries caught up in the Hong Kong tensions include even the esports community. Chung Ng Wai, a professional esports gamer, was kicked out of a competition and had his prize money docked after donning a gas mask and saying “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” in Mandarin during a live interview on Sunday.

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The gamer, known as “Blitzchung”, was banned by American games developer Blizzard Entertainment from playing its title “Hearthstone”. The developer claimed he was in breach of a tournament rule that prohibited players from taking any actions that “offends a portion or group of the public”. 

HKmap.live said last Wednesday it had been removed from the Hong Kong Apple App Store, with the warning: “Your app contains content — or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity — that is not legal . . . Specifically, the app allowed users to evade law enforcement.” The app developer said that its users were not lawbreakers. 

On Friday, HKmap.live said it had received approval to return to the App Store after appealing against the decision by Apple. 

Additional reporting by Nian Liu in Beijing



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