Apple prepares to remove thousands of additional video games from its App Store in China under pressure from the Chinese government, reports Wall Street Journal. The company had previously warned Chinese video game developers against premium game apps were at risk of being removed from the App Store, but the Chinese government is now taking even more action against games that don’t require a required license – or any app it deems illegal.
According to a memo from the WSJ, developers have until Dec. 31 to provide Apple with proof of their government-issued license or their games and other apps will be removed from the App Store. But Rich Bishop, ChinaInApp’s chief executive, told the WSJ that very few developers will actually get the license they need from the government to keep their games in. the App Store.
This regulatory policy, first enacted in 2016, was reportedly born out of concerns about it game addiction and offensive content, but until now, many iOS developers have been able to get around the mandatory licensing law due to a loophole in Apple’s App Store policies – a loophole that Apple is now closing, judging by this impending purge . It is unclear exactly what this loophole entailed.
But IIt’s not just games that Apple has removed and will likely continue to remove. A map app for Hong Kong was deleted from the App Store during Hong Kong’s democracy protests last fall, after Chinese state media said it endangered law enforcement officials. Google also removed the same app around the same time. Plague Inc., a global pandemic-themed simulation game was also removed. PUBG was banned in 2019. Even Tripadvisor may not be safe from Chinese censorship. The travel app is one of more than 100 apps that China has instructed Apple to uninstall without giving a reason.
In 2019 China’s State Administration of Press and Publication (SAPP) has revealed its app approval guidelines, which were banned anything that violates or threatens the Chinese constitution, national security or the political climate; games that promote racism or religious sects; and obscene content involving drug use, extreme violence or gambling, Business Insider reported.
G / O Media can receive a commission
Over after pressure from shareholders his willingness to comply with Chinese censorship, Apple published a document in September about its commitment to human rights. However, like the Financial times pointed out at the time of publication of the document, there is no specific reference to China, or what should happen if “China, the world’s largest smartphone market, asks it to ban apps that help users bypass censorship and surveillance . “
But the document does say:
Hand in hand with the privacy of our users is our commitment to freedom of information and expression. Our products help our customers communicate, learn, express their creativity and exercise their ingenuity. We believe in the critical importance of an open society where information flows freely, and we believe that the best way we can continue to promote openness is to stay engaged, even when we may not agree with the laws of a country.
In 2020 alone, Apple removed 94,000 apps from the China App Store, compared to 25,000 games removed last year. according to Sensor Tower. In July, 2,500 mobile games have been removed before July 31 deadline to obtain a license. It is not clear whether these games were againmoved by the developers or Apple, but Sensor Tower notes that 80% of those apps have had fewer than 10,000 downloads in China since January. 1, 2012.