[millstone]

Apple is in a position of strength in the USA and a position of weakness in China. Apple could choose to die on this hill, and all it would accomplish would be to deprive Chinese consumers of the strongest privacy-protecting mobile phone choice.

Things would be different if Apple were found to be shipping firmware-level spyware like Huawei and ZTE phones. But for flag emoji? Who cares? That's an easy trade.

[wyuenho]

> Apple could choose to die on this hill, and all it would accomplish would be to deprive Chinese consumers of the strongest privacy-protecting mobile phone choice

You are clearly drugged out of your mind by Apple's marketing machine. Who exactly uses iMessage in China? Everybody uses Wechat. Are you telling me iOS can protect Chinese users' privacy when the traffic go through their servers?

Also, Apple wouldn't die, no alone anyway. Foxconn and Apple would likely both die together. There's nothing scarier than 1000s of 1000s of laid off workers for the CCP.

> But for flag emoji? Who cares? That's an easy trade.

This is an extremely dangerous line of thought. Today you give them an inch, tomorrow they'll ask for a foot. It is exactly this kind of kautouing the West has given China in the past 20 years that led to its progressive erosion of universal values and leverage to safeguard those values across the world. When it comes to principles, espcially core values of a company, you don't compromise.

[ntsplnkv2]

You're essentially asking Apple to adjust how they deal in China, potentially losing a market and manufacturing center, because in your opinion, China should acknowledge Taiwan's sovereignty. Not everyone agrees with that.

> Today you give them an inch, tomorrow they'll ask for a foot. It is exactly this kind of kautouing the West has given China in the past 20 years that led to its progressive erosion of universal values and leverage to safeguard those values across the world. When it comes to principles, espcially core values of a company, you

This is just absurd. It is not Apple's responsibility to represent the West nor do they actually represent the west. And I do not want them to represent the west.

[wyuenho]

May I remind you that Apple's core value is protection of user's privacy. They are compromising their own core values.

[ntsplnkv2]

I fail to see how changing a flag due to localization has anything to do with privacy at all.

[BrandoElFollito]

What is a "universal value"?

[kodablah]

When you only speak out when you're in a position of strength, that is cowardly.

[ntsplnkv2]

They spoke out because legally they were allowed to do so. Our government is founded on things like this. We have courts and representatives that we ultimately control.

It had nothing to do with "power" or positions of strength. They simply acted in the political environment they were in. Surprise surprise it's different in China.