4 ms·

In terms of books that is very much a non Apple issue. Every country can (and does?) ban some books from publication. Whether it’s political or „save the childr

by aloer 7y ago

In terms of books that is very much a non Apple issue. Every country can (and does?) ban some books from publication. Whether it’s political or „save the children“, it’s a normal government process and your chosen platform, digital or paper, is irrelevant. Picking out Apple for book censorship is wrong. Apps on the other hand you are totally right about. This censorship exists with app stores only. But in practical terms, is there really a difference between side loading iOS apps or installing android apps from binary? If anything I would prefer the open source nature of side loading

drclau 7y ago
Note that Apple's Books app works with books that were not purchased from Apple. You can simply send an epub file to Books app via the standard sharing functionality, from any other app. I assume it is allowed because it does not pose a security threat to the device, nor user, as opposed to allowing apps from outside the Apple Store. Edit: You can try it with Peter Watts' Blindsight ;). EPub download link is in the header: https://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm https://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm
qwerty456127 7y ago
> Every country can (and does?) ban some books from publication... Picking out Apple for book censorship is wrong. That's Apple who has made this possible. If it was doing no distinction between countries (e.g. Google seemingly has just one Play store globally) then it would be not a party to blame. By the way the book I wanted was free and not on any sensitive subject. Some kind of science fiction. I've just stumbled upon a Twitter post saying there is a curious new scifi book available for free in Apple store, so I've taken my wife's iPad and tried to get it but it said it was only available in the US store (we live in Europe).
- callahad 7y ago
  Fwiw, Google Play does have regional stores. For example, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hutchison3g.planet3 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hutchison3... is only available in the UK store.
  - edwintorok 7y ago
    Yes, local taxi company apps are another example: they are only available in the UK store. Which sort of makes sense, you wouldn't want someone to try to call a UK taxi overseas, although I did have to spend some time figuring out how to switch store countries when I moved here.
    - viraptor 7y ago
      I disagree it ever makes sense. People travel. I've found myself many times abroad not being able to download: parking payment apps, local taxi apps, sim card providers' apps, local banking apps, etc. for no reason apart from someone thinking it would be useful to region-lock them.
      - edwintorok 7y ago
        Perhaps there should be 2 regions: your "home" region where you initially signed up, and your "roaming" region, i.e. the country you're currently in. And perhaps instead of preventing you from installing the app it should still be available and just tell you why it cannot be currently installed, with a way to override it.
  - callahad 7y ago
    ...and since parent was specifically referring to ebooks: - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is not available for purchase in the US: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher_s_Sto?id=39iYWTb6n6cC https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harr... - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is not available for purchase in the UK: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone?id=wrOQLV6xB-wC https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harr... I'm currently in the UK, with a US-based Google account. If I'm logged in, I only see a "buy" button the second link. If I'm not, I only see a "buy" button on the first link... but Google doesn't allow me to complete the purchase, as it forces me to log in and then recognizes that it doesn't sell that ebook to Americans.
enriquto 7y ago
> Every country can ban some books from publication. (...) it’s a normal government process Being common does not make it acceptable, and it is alright to criticize "neutral" actors like Apple that partake in this censoring, even if they are only following orders.
- darkcha0s 7y ago
  Using that logic, we should also protest book stores who don't sell banned publications.
  - enriquto 7y ago
    Most certainly! And also celebrate those who do, even if it is prohibited.

by aloer 7y ago

drclau 7y ago

Note that Apple's Books app works with books that were not purchased from Apple. You can simply send an epub file to Books app via the standard sharing functionality, from any other app. I assume it is allowed because it does not pose a security threat to the device, nor user, as opposed to allowing apps from outside the Apple Store. Edit: You can try it with Peter Watts' Blindsight ;). EPub download link is in the header: https://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm https://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm

qwerty456127 7y ago

> Every country can (and does?) ban some books from publication... Picking out Apple for book censorship is wrong. That's Apple who has made this possible. If it was doing no distinction between countries (e.g. Google seemingly has just one Play store globally) then it would be not a party to blame. By the way the book I wanted was free and not on any sensitive subject. Some kind of science fiction. I've just stumbled upon a Twitter post saying there is a curious new scifi book available for free in Apple store, so I've taken my wife's iPad and tried to get it but it said it was only available in the US store (we live in Europe).

callahad 7y ago
Fwiw, Google Play does have regional stores. For example, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hutchison3g.planet3 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hutchison3... is only available in the UK store.
- edwintorok 7y ago
  Yes, local taxi company apps are another example: they are only available in the UK store. Which sort of makes sense, you wouldn't want someone to try to call a UK taxi overseas, although I did have to spend some time figuring out how to switch store countries when I moved here.
  - viraptor 7y ago
    I disagree it ever makes sense. People travel. I've found myself many times abroad not being able to download: parking payment apps, local taxi apps, sim card providers' apps, local banking apps, etc. for no reason apart from someone thinking it would be useful to region-lock them.
    - edwintorok 7y ago
      Perhaps there should be 2 regions: your "home" region where you initially signed up, and your "roaming" region, i.e. the country you're currently in. And perhaps instead of preventing you from installing the app it should still be available and just tell you why it cannot be currently installed, with a way to override it.
- callahad 7y ago
  ...and since parent was specifically referring to ebooks: - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is not available for purchase in the US: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher_s_Sto?id=39iYWTb6n6cC https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harr... - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is not available for purchase in the UK: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone?id=wrOQLV6xB-wC https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_K_Rowling_Harr... I'm currently in the UK, with a US-based Google account. If I'm logged in, I only see a "buy" button the second link. If I'm not, I only see a "buy" button on the first link... but Google doesn't allow me to complete the purchase, as it forces me to log in and then recognizes that it doesn't sell that ebook to Americans.

enriquto 7y ago

> Every country can ban some books from publication. (...) it’s a normal government process Being common does not make it acceptable, and it is alright to criticize "neutral" actors like Apple that partake in this censoring, even if they are only following orders.

darkcha0s 7y ago
Using that logic, we should also protest book stores who don't sell banned publications.
- enriquto 7y ago
  Most certainly! And also celebrate those who do, even if it is prohibited.