Apple removes Pocket Casts podcast app from the Chinese App Store

Pocket Casts Featured (Image credit: XDA Developers)

What you need to know

Pocket Casts has been removed from the Chinese App Store.
The company says it was taken down after refusing to censor content.
Apple had taken the app down at the request of the Chinese government.

Pocket Casts, a popular podcast app, has apparently been removed from the Chinese App Store by Apple.

The company posted on Twitter tonight announcing the move from Apple, saying that they were asked to censor certain podcast content. When they refused, Apple removed the app from the Chinese App Store.

"Pocket Casts has been removed from the Chinese App store by Apple, at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China. We believe podcasting is and should remain an open medium, free of government censorship. As such we won't be censoring podcast content at their request."

Pocket Casts has been removed from the Chinese App store by Apple, at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China. We believe podcasting is and should remain an open medium, free of government censorship. As such we won't be censoring podcast content at their request.Pocket Casts has been removed from the Chinese App store by Apple, at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China. We believe podcasting is and should remain an open medium, free of government censorship. As such we won't be censoring podcast content at their request.— Pocket Casts (@pocketcasts) June 11, 2020 June 11, 2020

Pocket Casts says that it does not plan to reverse their decision in order to get back on the store. Instead, the company says it views this move as a necessary step in order to fight for open distribution globally.

"We understand this means that it's unlikely that our iOS App will be available in China, but feel it's a necessary step to take for any company that values the open distribution model that makes podcasting special."

We understand this means that it's unlikely that our iOS App will be available in China, but feel it's a necessary step to take for any company that values the open distribution model that makes podcasting special.We understand this means that it's unlikely that our iOS App will be available in China, but feel it's a necessary step to take for any company that values the open distribution model that makes podcasting special.— Pocket Casts (@pocketcasts) June 11, 2020 June 11, 2020

Apple has not yet commented as to specifically why the app was removed.

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.