Apple, Google face pressure to remove X and Grok from their app stores (opens in new tab)

(vechron.com)

5 pointsGeorgeWoff254mo ago3 comments

3 comments

ggm4mo ago

I'm caught on a fence in this, because I'd be delighted if X sank and the majors broke associations. But, I think handset makers and device makers need some kind of safe harbour around what obligations they have to place things in or out of play, else we are right in state sanctioned s/w and we might as well run "red wall linux"

(Yes, a reductive line of argument. I do not propose we run red wall linux)

SilverElfin4mo ago

Regardless of safe harbor, X is getting special treatment others would not. This type of controversy - not to mention just the everyday bigotry on there - would be an instant ban for anyone not tied closely to the president.

like_any_other4mo ago

> The organizations, which focus on child safety, women’s rights and privacy, expressed their concerns in letters on Wednesday to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, claiming that Grok’s content violates the technology companies’ policies.

I find it repulsive that "company policies" should dictate what I'm allowed to install on my phone, and just as repulsive that these organizations try to subvert user choice, lobbying some random corporation to get it to extra-legally impose its will on people. If they had any integrity, they would be directing their persuasion at users themselves, instead of giving their blessing for corporations to act as morality police.

And of course, despite promptly fixing the issues, the call is not "we are grateful X decided to fix it, we'll keep a close eye on it so keep up the good work or else", but "ban them even though they did what we wanted". Because the issue was just a pretext.