Quartz removed from App Store in China, site blocked in China

Apple has removed the Quartz mobile app from the Chinese version of its App Store after complaints from the Chinese government, and the financial news site says its entire website has also been blocked from being accessed in mainland China.

Nick Statt of The Verge reports, “The publication says it received a notice from Apple that the app ‘includes content that is illegal in China.’

“In a statement, Quartz CEO Zach Seward, who assumed the role of chief executive just two days ago, tells The Verge that ‘We abhor this kind of government censorship of the internet, and have great coverage of how to get around such bans around the world.’ The statement points to the publications’ coverage of VPNs, which can be used to bypass restrictions on accessing certain parts of the internet from mainland China. Quartz also links out to its coverage of the Hong Kong protests.

“Apple capitulating to the Chinese government is nothing new. The company’s deep business interests in China, which include a majority of its consumer electronics supply chain, mean that in almost all cases, it abides by the country’s censorship policies and its sensitive reactions to any and all criticism of the Chinese government.”

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