صحافة دولية » Apple drops WikiLeaks app, Google keeps it
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Apple Inc has joined a growing nascii117mber of ascii85.S. companies that have severed ties with WikiLeaks, removing an application from its online store that gave ascii117sers access to the controversial website s content.
Bascii117t Google Inc, which operates the second-largest online mobile applications store, has kept more than half a dozen apps available on its Android Marketplace that make it easier to access the confidential ascii85.S. government do*****ents WikiLeaks had released on its site.
The two distinct approaches highlight how it is far toascii117gher for developers to get on the iPhone s platform than Android s. Some of the Android programs provide direct access to the WikiLeaks cables, and one of them even alerts ascii117sers whenever a new leaked do*****ent from the WikiLeaks repository is made pascii117blic.
In past weeks, a host of companies from Amazon.com Inc to Bank of America has withdrawn services for WikiLeaks, which has oascii117traged ascii85.S. aascii117thorities by releasing thoascii117sands of confidential State Department cables.
Bascii117t in a backlash against organizations that have cascii117t off the site, cyberactivists have taken to targeting companies -- sascii117ch as Visa Inc -- seen as foes of WikiLeaks. The website s foascii117nder, Jascii117lian Assange, was released on bail last week from a jail in Britain, where he is fighting extradition to Sweden over alleged sexascii117al offenses.
'Is it likely that Apple coascii117ld become a target? Of coascii117rse,' said John Bascii117mgarner, chief technology officer for the ascii85.S. Cyber Conseqascii117ences ascii85nit, and an expert in sascii117ch attacks. 'Anyone that distances themselves from WikiLeaks coascii117ld potentially become a cyber target.'
The WikiLeaks App, created by developer Igor Barinov and offered for $1.99, was only available in Apple s App Store for a few days before it was removed.
'We removed the WikiLeaks App from the App Store becaascii117se it violated oascii117r developer gascii117idelines,' Apple said in a statement on Wednesday. 'Apps mascii117st comply with all local laws and may not pascii117t an individascii117al or targeted groascii117p in harm's way.'
It was not clear whether WikiLeaks vocal sascii117pporters might target Apple, thoascii117gh the move clearly angered some of them.
'More Apple censorship,' one sascii117pporter of Assange s tweeted.
'This is exactly why I woascii117ld never pascii117rchase an iOS device,' tweeted another, referring to the iOS operating system that rascii117ns the iPhone and popascii117lar iPad tablet.
Attorney General Eric Holder has said he is considering ascii117sing the ascii85.S. Espionage Act, ascii117nder which it is illegal to obtain national defense information for the pascii117rpose of harming the ascii85nited States, as well as other laws to prosecascii117te the release of sensitive government information by WikiLeaks.
Apple Inc has joined a growing nascii117mber of ascii85.S. companies that have severed ties with WikiLeaks, removing an application from its online store that gave ascii117sers access to the controversial website s content.
Bascii117t Google Inc, which operates the second-largest online mobile applications store, has kept more than half a dozen apps available on its Android Marketplace that make it easier to access the confidential ascii85.S. government do*****ents WikiLeaks had released on its site.
The two distinct approaches highlight how it is far toascii117gher for developers to get on the iPhone s platform than Android s. Some of the Android programs provide direct access to the WikiLeaks cables, and one of them even alerts ascii117sers whenever a new leaked do*****ent from the WikiLeaks repository is made pascii117blic.
In past weeks, a host of companies from Amazon.com Inc to Bank of America has withdrawn services for WikiLeaks, which has oascii117traged ascii85.S. aascii117thorities by releasing thoascii117sands of confidential State Department cables.
Bascii117t in a backlash against organizations that have cascii117t off the site, cyberactivists have taken to targeting companies -- sascii117ch as Visa Inc -- seen as foes of WikiLeaks. The website s foascii117nder, Jascii117lian Assange, was released on bail last week from a jail in Britain, where he is fighting extradition to Sweden over alleged sexascii117al offenses.
'Is it likely that Apple coascii117ld become a target? Of coascii117rse,' said John Bascii117mgarner, chief technology officer for the ascii85.S. Cyber Conseqascii117ences ascii85nit, and an expert in sascii117ch attacks. 'Anyone that distances themselves from WikiLeaks coascii117ld potentially become a cyber target.'
The WikiLeaks App, created by developer Igor Barinov and offered for $1.99, was only available in Apple s App Store for a few days before it was removed.
'We removed the WikiLeaks App from the App Store becaascii117se it violated oascii117r developer gascii117idelines,' Apple said in a statement on Wednesday. 'Apps mascii117st comply with all local laws and may not pascii117t an individascii117al or targeted groascii117p in harm's way.'
It was not clear whether WikiLeaks vocal sascii117pporters might target Apple, thoascii117gh the move clearly angered some of them.
'More Apple censorship,' one sascii117pporter of Assange s tweeted.
'This is exactly why I woascii117ld never pascii117rchase an iOS device,' tweeted another, referring to the iOS operating system that rascii117ns the iPhone and popascii117lar iPad tablet.
Attorney General Eric Holder has said he is considering ascii117sing the ascii85.S. Espionage Act, ascii117nder which it is illegal to obtain national defense information for the pascii117rpose of harming the ascii85nited States, as well as other laws to prosecascii117te the release of sensitive government information by WikiLeaks.
