【禁闻】中国网路审查制度 苹果也低头

【新唐人2013年10月07日讯】OpenDoor是一款苹果手机的浏览器,也是翻墙利器,它可用来突破网路封锁,因此在中国、伊朗和巴基斯坦等国家相当受民众的喜爱。不过,中国大陆的民众可能要失望了,因为苹果公司中国的应用商店(App Store)关掉了这个软件。据了解,中共当局启动一个对几个手机新闻应用程式的打压,OpenDoor就是其中一个,对此,苹果公司并没有提出评论,只说这个程式“含有在中国不合法的内容”。

这款名为OpenDoor的手机翻墙软件,是免费的iPhone浏览器,它会绕过网路供应商和防火墙的网路封锁,将用户的网路路径重新绕到应用的服务器上。

OpenDoor可以直接访问中国网民所说的三个“不存在”网站,分别是Facebook、Twitter、Youtube,而且浏览速度相当流畅,许多大陆民众都是透过这种翻墙方式,了解到许多中国大陆看不到、听不到的真相。

OpenDoor的主要开发人员表示,这款程式有很多中国用户。在大约80万次的下载中,有三分之一左右是来自中国大陆。

不过,苹果公司最近从中国的应用商店(App Store)中,把它移除了,移除的原因说是该程式“含有在中国不合法的内容”。

根据荷兰国际广播电台(Radio Netherlands Worldwide)的报导,被屏蔽前,每天几乎有两千个中国用户下载这一个软件。但在今年的7月11号,中国方面的下载数突然降到0。OpenDoor在苹果的中国应用商店中被屏蔽了,而开发者根本没有收到任何通知。对此,苹果公司未做出任何评论。

北京维权人士胡佳:“苹果拒绝对此做出评论,我个人认为,这个东西的原因,肯定是受到中国(共)政府的压力,然后苹果被迫的做出一种退让和妥协吧。”

全球资讯自由网创办人张新宇:“中共政府为什么做这件事,更进一步证明它有不可见人的东西,而且它最不放心的是手机的东西。”

OpenDoor的研发者给苹果的一封信中写道:我们不清楚,一个简单的浏览器如何含有非法内容,用户自己选择要浏览什么网站。按照同样的逻辑,难道所有的浏览器,也包含非法内容?

事实上,这并非苹果公司第一次在中国应用商店(App Store)移除它认为在中国不合法的内容。该公司先前也移除过新唐人电视台开发的iNTD程式。一名匿名的中国互联网专家说,尽管法律上的解释可能有问题,但确实是有法轮功内容被封锁的先例。

北京维权人士胡佳:“我觉得苹果在这方面,如果说,它还保持它那一点点就是创新、比较独立的风骨的话,那么它真的应该把这些针对中国市场的这种带有翻墙、越域功能的软件,再把它拿回来,而且应该加强它的功能,其实这对它的市场,对于老百姓来讲,这是会受到市场的推崇,我觉得苹果想得太多了,做出这种妥协,实在是令人遗憾。”

在2006和2007年,雅虎曾将记者师涛的个人用户信息传给中共当局,导致师涛入狱,因此受到国际谴责。谷歌起初决定在其中国搜索引擎上实施审查时,也受到媒体病诟。

中国人权(Human Rights in China)组织的执行主任谭竞嫦(Sharon Hom)表示,现在的雅虎和谷歌,已经共同创立了全球网路倡议(GNI),与人权组织以及学术专家一起,保护全球用户的权益。但苹果在此方面的作为仍不明朗。

采访/朱智善 编辑/黄亿美 后制/陈建铭

Apple Bends To Chinese Communist Party Censorship

OpenDoor is iPhone’s search Engine application;
it is also a great tool for anti-firewall.
In China, Iran and Pakistan, people like it very much.

However, now Chinese people are disappointed, as Apple has
removed OpenDoor from the App Store in China.
Sources said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
started cracking down on news applications from mobile
phones, including OpenDoor. Apple didn’t comment
that this application contains illegal contents in China.

OpenDoor is a anti-firewall application
and a free iPhone browser app.
It enables users to bypass firewalls and
access restricted internet sites.

OpenDoor could directly open Facebook,
Twitter and Youtube websites.
The surfing is very smooth and fast.

Many Chinese users have this app to visit websites
being censored by the regime.

OpenDoor developers said many Chinese people use this app.

Among 800,000 downloading records, 33% were from China.

Apple had removed this tool from the App store in China,
because it “includes content that is illegal in China.”

Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported that about 2,000
Chinese users downloaded the app daily before its removal.
Since July 11, downloading records dropped to zero in China.

OpenDoor was removed and the developers of the app haven’t
been informed. Apple hasn’t responded to the report yet.

Beijing activist Hu Jia: “Apple declined to make comments.

I think they definitely were pressured by the Chinese regime.

Apple was forced to make concessions and compromises.”

Zhang Xiyu, founder of Global Information Free Movement
Website: “Why has the CCP done such things?
It further proves that the CCP has covered up some information.
The mobile phones worried them the most.”

OpenDoor developers wrote to Apple: “It is unclear for us
how a simple browser app could include illegal contents?
Since it’s the user’s own choosing of what websites to view.

Using the same definition, wouldn’t all browser apps
include illegal contents?”

Actually this is not the first time Apple removed “illegal”
apps from the App Store in China.
Apple previously removed NTD’s iNTD app in the past.

An anonymous Chinese internet expert said that although
the interpretation of the law may have problems, it is indeed
Falun Gong content that has been blocked in the past.

Hu Jia: “I think if Apple really wants to maintain its little bit
of innovation and relatively independent character, they should
restore the app software with bypass firewall function which
was aimed at the Chinese market.
In addition, they should strengthen the app functions,
it will be good for their market and consumers.
Thus Apple will be respected in the market.

I think it is regretful that Apple is too timid,
making such compromise.”

Yahoo leaked journalist Shi Tao’s personal information to the
CCP in 2006/2007. Consequently Shi Tao was arrested and jailed.
Yahoo was condemned by the international community.

Google initially decided to implement censorship on search
engines in China, it caused widespread criticisms by media.

Sharon Hom, chairman of Human Rights in China group said
Yahoo and Google have established Global Network Initiative.
They work together with human rights groups and
academic experts to protect global users interests.
However, Apple’s response in this area is still uncertain.

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