The Chinese government is rumored to be behind the censorship of Apple News app in China. Until Apple develops a censorship system that aligns with the Chinese government's strict security policies, the Apple News will remain unavailable in Greater China.
Larry Salibra, founder and CEO of Pay4Bugs, published a report in his website that Apple's growing market dependence on China could put the company under the Chinese government's total control. Salibra said that Apple's increasing use of cloud-based services on its devices could raise security issues with the Chinese administration.
Salibra's report further stated that the Chinese Communist Party tries to gain control over media to create a "harmonious society." There is a risk that Apple might end up like Google if it is forced by the Chinese government to take actions that would drive away its customers.
It is reported that Apple is basing its Apple News censorship on the mobile network to which the phone is connected. Apple reportedly disables the News app without the user's consent, much to customers' dismay. Salibra calls it as the "China Kill Switch". Apple Maps is also disabled in China along with Apple News.
BABW News stated in a report that Apple needs to create its own censorship system that corresponds to the strict regulations of Beijing. Until then, the News App is believed to remain disabled in China.
According to VCPost, China has become Apple's second largest source of revenue. China reportedly generated $13 billion income for the tech giant. Apple takes careful actions on delivering new content to keep its hold on the Chinese market.
Until Apple News becomes available in China, Chinese users will not be able to experience the features that the app offers. Apple News reportedly delivers news content with style and lets users share and download content for offline reading.
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