An article dropped recently about Apple removing the App “ICEBlock” by the request of the Trump administration. Its not clear if this is lawful. Apple didn’t release any proof that they received a lawful order to remove the app, only a statement that they were complying with a lawful order.
Cory Doctorow listed some other apps that got removed over the years from Apple’s App Store that appeared suspicious to me. It is their platform, but if they are removing Apps that compete with their products, or puts them in a negative light, we need to have alternatives. With Google now requiring side-loading App developers go though a registration process, making it impossible to express activism anonymously though a phone you bought and paid for, choices are limited to Smartphones that use open source software. Hopefully this will cause these phones to increase in popularity.
I’m Scott Larson. I’ve been a technology enthusiast since I was 10 years old, and today I repair computers and help people solve everyday tech challenges. I write about creative and technical projects along with occasional philosophical musings. If this article was of interest to you, sign up for my newsletter and receive notifications when new articles are published.