If this month wasn’t already bad enough for WikiLeaks, things may have just gotten worse for the controversial organization.
Yesterday, Apple pulled the $1.99 WikiLeaks application from the app store. The app offered users all WikiLeaks content that could be found online (for free) along with WikiLeaks Twitter feed.
Having only been accepted into the app store as of December 17th, many users are puzzled as to why it is so quickly being pulled.
In a statement to Business Insider, Apple explained that, “We removed WikiLeaks because it violated developer guidelines. An app must comply with all local laws. It may not put an individual or target group in harms way.”
Could this be Apple’s way of jumping on the anti-WikiLeaks bandwagon like the US government that pulled that seized the WikiLeaks domain or the credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard that declined all donations made to the organization?
Perhaps.
But more importantly, the removal of the application marks the arbitrary power of Apple.
Should the media be afraid to share sensitive details for fear of being blacklisted?
Business Insider brings up an interesting point: if the New York Times publishes a scandalous article, is their app at danger for being pulled?
We think not.
Just yesterday, TG Daily reported on the lobbying power of organizations with money like RIAA and the MPAA, which prompted the domain seizure of the WikiLeaks organization.
Similarly, Apple is a company with some serious cash.
So, Until there is a time when another company can compete with Apple to force them to keep controversial apps for competition purposes, there’s really no reason why Cupertino would do anything but whatever it wants.
