Hong Kong lawmaker says Apple should "uphold its commitment to free expression"
Image via South China Morning Post
## What you need to know
- A Hong Kong councilor and entrepeneur has written an open letter to Tim Cook.
- The letter expresses frustration and dissapointment at Apple's decision to ban mapping app HKmap.live.
- Calls on Tim Cook and Apple to "uphold its commitment to free expression."
A Hong Kong legislative councilor and tech entrepreneur has written an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, pleading with him to prioritize "uphold its commitment to free expression."
Chaerles Mok took to Twitter to publish the open letter sent to Tim Cook.
Today I wrote to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, to tell him his company’s decision to remove HKmap live app from Appstore will cause problems for normal Hong Kong’s citizens trying to avoid police presence while they are under constant fear ofpolice brutality. Values over profits, pls! pic.twitter.com/guaBfV8PnfToday I wrote to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, to tell him his company’s decision to remove HKmap live app from Appstore will cause problems for normal Hong Kong’s citizens trying to avoid police presence while they are under constant fear ofpolice brutality. Values over profits, pls! pic.twitter.com/guaBfV8Pnf— Charles Mok 莫乃光 (@charlesmok) October 10, 2019October 10, 2019
In the letter Mok states:
Mok goes on to claim that there are " numerous cases" of innocent passersby being injured by Hong Kong Police Force's excessive force used to disperse crowds. He states that the user generated data on the app helps citizens to avoid areas where pedestrians not involved in criminal activity might be subjected to what he describes as "police brutality". Mok also cites the numerous user reviews which show how the app has helped HK residents, journalists and tourists identify danger zones and avoid being hurt by tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, bean-bag rounds and water cannons.
He concluded by saying:
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Mok's letter does not mince words. Furthermore, it marks the growing storm of bad press surrounding Apple's dealings in the region, mostly in response to HKmap.live. The news comes in the wake of a leaked memo from Tim Cook to Apple's employees explaining why it took the decision to ban the app. In the memo, Cook cited "credible" information that officers were being targed by violence through the app.
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9