According to a a new report by University of Toronto research group The Citizen Lab, Apple has allegedly been censoring references to Chinese politicians, dissidents, or other similar topics for its engraving service in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Apple’s engraving service allows customers to customize their iPhones, iPads, and other devices with markings such as initials or emojis. However, if a customer tries to engrave “8964,” they’d be blocked. This is because the string of numbers is a reference to the Tiananmen Square protests that took place in China.
According to Input, while the company usually censors certain phrases globally due to vulgarities or other indecent topics, there’s actually no legal justification as to why its censoring Hong Kongers and Taiwanese customers. Other keywords banned in Hong Kong included phrases from the city’s pro-democracy movements, as well as freedom for the press.
In a letter to the Citizen Lab, Apple said: “As with everything at Apple, the process for engraving is led by our values. We are very glad to offer customers the opportunity to express themselves and we have guidelines in place to ensure local laws and customs are respected and adhered to in every country and region where we operate.”
While customers who have been blocked from using certain engravings feel that Apple shouldn’t be censoring what isn’t illegal or derogatory, the company has to choose between the freedom of speech for its customers, and upsetting local authorities. It may be a hard line to draw in the sand, but with the company espousing its “values,” many are wondering why it hasn’t picked the former.
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