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Apple has promised more disclosure about why Apple is banning certain apps from the App Store. This comes after allegations that the tech giant’s secretive decision-making process threatens freedom of expression in countries such as China and Russia.
The activist investor secured a commitment from Apple earlier this month, according to three people familiar with the deal. At last March’s annual meeting, nearly a third of his shareholders supported a resolution calling for greater transparency in its relations with foreign governments.
The petitioners, led by US faith-based investor Azzad Asset Management and UK activist investment platform Tulipshare, said certain apps were in the App Store after some Bible and Quran study tools were inexplicably banned. We asked Apple to elaborate on why it was removed from Out of China in late 2021.
Apple declined to comment.
The company has long been criticized for complying with foreign government demands to remove certain apps. For example, the encrypted messaging tools WhatsApp and Signal are not allowed on the Chinese App Store, nor are they allowed by The New York Times or some social media apps.
We now provide investors with details about the apps that were taken down in our transparency report. It currently only informs investors how many apps each country has requested to be removed, whether the request was based on breaking the law, and whether Apple has complied. people familiar with the agreement.
For example, in the first six months of 2021, China has cited 34 law violations and called for the removal of 89 apps. According to the latest reports, Apple did not object to any of these demands.
Constance Ricketts, Tulipshare’s head of shareholder activism, told the Financial Times that the disclosure model leaves shareholders “in the dark” and prevents them from scrutinizing Apple’s decisions.
According to Tulipshare, Apple has agreed to publish the legal basis for takedown requests by each government, along with a breakdown by country and app category, in its next report.
However, it will not explain why individual apps were taken down, as plaintiffs originally requested, two people familiar with the matter said.
Apple also promised to disclose by country how many apps it removed for violating App Store or developer license agreement guidelines, according to people familiar with the deal.
“This information will help us determine whether Apple’s decisions interfere with information and free speech,” said Ricketts.
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