Apple censors apps, prefers liberal bias

[Todd Erickson]

http://blogs.computerworld.com/16169/apple_censors_republican?page=1

[Larry Brincefield]

I had heard about some of this news. I had also heard about Apple rescinding their recension of one of the referenced apps. I am a huge apple fan and own numerous apple products; but it does disturb me when I hear the company getting involved in the political fray, especially since they always seem to be supporting the liberal end of the spectrum; and criticizing the conservative end. I would think they would stay out of the politics "game", at least in consideration for their conservative users. I don't preach politics from the pulpit; I don't think they should preach politics from the marketplace.

[Benjamin Burch]

I had heard about some of this news. I had also heard about Apple rescinding their recension of one of the referenced apps. I am a huge apple fan and own numerous apple products; but it does disturb me when I hear the company getting involved in the political fray, especially since they always seem to be supporting the liberal end of the spectrum; and criticizing the conservative end. I would think they would stay out of the politics "game", at least in consideration for their conservative users. I don't preach politics from the pulpit; I don't think they should preach politics from the marketplace.

Very well said, and a very fair perspective. Thanks.

[Glenn Harris]

I had heard about some of this news. I had also heard about Apple rescinding their recension of one of the referenced apps. I am a huge apple fan and own numerous apple products; but it does disturb me when I hear the company getting involved in the political fray, especially since they always seem to be supporting the liberal end of the spectrum; and criticizing the conservative end. I would think they would stay out of the politics "game", at least in consideration for their conservative users. I don't preach politics from the pulpit; I don't think they should preach politics from the marketplace.

Maybe that's why I use Dell! (-:

I'm in agreement that politics has no place in the marketplace, but as long as companies are being managed by people and people are buying the products, it 's going to happen. Businesses decide a market strategy and they act on it. Ultimately, they are responsible to their stock holders for their actions. If Apple makes a decision that their clientele favors a particular type of application and that they don't have a sustainable market for another application then they have every right to move on it. I don't have a problem with Apple doing that "to me" as a conservative, as long as it is a two way street. I get tired of people making "political stands" and then whining when their marketing effort crashes in flames (can you spell Air America Radio)

You can't have it both ways. Either you support it regardless of where it lands, or you don't support it regardless of where it lands.

That's my two cents.

[Dave Mann]

Complaining that Apple is mixing politics and the marketplace strikes me like swatting flies while standing in a cesspool.

If we want to talk about inappropriate mixing of politics and the market how about we discuss:

a) the recent (conservative) supreme court decision to lift the bans on corporate spending in elections
b) the gazillions of dollars of spent by big business on lobbying efforts, particularly in rolling back regulatory oversight (the financial sector debacle, this years coal mine explosion and most recently, the Gulf of Mexico debacle)
c) the role that corporate control of the media played in building the propaganda machine in the lead up to the 2nd Gulf War.

Where are the defenders of free speech here? Apple is a private company and has every right in the world to chose what it sells or doesn't sell. If you don't like it, buy an Android phone and download this:
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.foxnews-news-droid-pAtt.aspx

I rather doubt that Steve Jobs will lose sleep over loosing anybody's business on this issue.

BTW, an alternative approach would be to argue that since iTunes runs over the internet that we, collectively, as US citizens have the right to demand that content that runs across the US built infrastructure should be regulated to ensure a level playing field - in short, treating the internet in the same way that we treat public airwaves for TV and radio. If you want to go that route, then you're siding with the FCC's desire to enforce "Net Neutrality", which will put you on the side of regulation biased pinko commie lefty Democrats like John Kerry and will put you against upright anti-regulation Republicans like John Ensign. See: http://www.fastcompany.com/1639209/fcc-pushes-for-net-neutrality-and-internet-regulation-what-happens-next

Or again, you could just buy a Droid.

[Kevin Rector]

Or again, you could just buy a Droid.

I love my Droid.