Apple Removes WikiLeaks App From App Store. Looks like an unofficial iPhone and iPad app that let you view WikiLeaks site content and follow the WikiLeaks Twitter account on the go has been removed from the App app store earlier today. The app used to be available here (here’s the Google cache). From the WikiLeaks App’s description: “The Wikileaks app gives instant access to the world’s most documented leakage of top secret memos and other confidential government documents.” Basically the paid app was selling WikiLeaks content (available for free) for $1.99. Its entry into the app store on December 17th was actually surprising, as Apple is usually quite strict and somewhat vague about its app approval standards. In the past couple of weeks corporate biggies Amazon, PayPal, Mastercard, Visa and Bank of America have all tried to disassociate themselves in one way or another from WikiLeaks.
I’ve contacted both Apple and and the developer for more information and will update this post when they respond. Thanks: Appsfire. Apple Bans Lame WikiLeaks App | Threat Level. Apple on Monday banned an iPhone and iPad app designed to facilitate access to WikiLeaks’ unfolding cache of leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, putting the company on the growing list of U.S. corporations aligned against the secret-spilling site. “We removed the WikiLeaks app from the App Store because it violated our developer guidelines,” a spokeswoman told Threat Level, reading from a statement. “Apps must comply with all local laws and may not put an individual or targeted group in harm’s way.” Apple declined to elaborate. The App Store is the only means of distributing an app that will run on an unmodified iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. The ban follow a string of other corporate attacks on WikiLeaks in the wake of outrage from official Washington over the cable leak.
Had Apple banned the WikiLeaks app for general suckage, it might be defensible. You can do the same thing in Safari by visiting WikiLeaks.ch. That makes Apple’s move purely symbolic — but scarcely less ominous. Apple removes iPhone Wikileaks app from iTunes. 22 December 2010Last updated at 11:15 The material offered by the Wikileaks iPhone app can still be accessed for free via the phone's browser Apple has confirmed that it removed a Wikileaks iPhone app from its iTunes store. Wikileaks App was an unofficial, paid-for download that gave people access to the free Wikileaks Twitter feed and documents held on its website. It was removed three days after it was launched on 17 December.
Apple said that the app, which had more than 4,000 downloads before its was pulled, "violated" developer guidelines. "Apps must comply will all local laws and may not put an individual or targeted group in harms way," said a spokesperson for the firm. Alien interest The app's Russian developer, Igor Barinov, said that Apple had told him it specifically violated two of its guidelines. The first on personal attacks states: "Any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harm's way will be rejected. "