Apple rejects app that tracks Hong Kong protest locations
Apple has rejected an app that helps people in Hong Kong track the location of police and protesters, according to the app’s developer.
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The crowdsourced app, called HKmap Live, displays information about police patrols, tear gas use, metro closures and safe houses to help residents navigate the city amid violent clashes on the streets.
However, Apple told the app’s creators that the service “contains content – or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity – that is not legal”, and rejected it from the App Store.
“Specifically, the app allowed users to evade law enforcement,” the tech firm added.
Posts on HKmap Live’s Twitter account insisted that the app was designed to provide information and did not encourage illegal activity. “Everything can be used for illegal purpose on the wrong hand,” it said.
It came as Hong Kong relaxed guidelines on the use of force by police as authorities try to stamp out anti-government protests.
China is also preparing to roll out emergency measures, including banning face masks, according to local media reports.
The app developer said the purpose of the map was to help residents avoid areas that had been marked as an illegal assembly. Entering these zones puts citizens at risk of a jail sentence of up to 10 years, they added.
Some Twitter users speculated that Apple’s decision to reject the app was politically-motivated, and may have been driven by a desire to avoid a spat with China.
But the app’s creator said it was “more a bureaucratic f up than censorship”.
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While HKmap cannot be used by iPhone users, it is still available on Android. Apple has been contacted for comment.
Main image credit: Getty