Read Apple’s commitment to freedom of expression that doesn’t mention China
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
On Friday, Apple published a new human rights policy committing to “freedom of information and expression” after facing years of criticism over the company’s willingness to follow mainland China’s censorship laws.
As first reported by the Financial Times on Friday, Apple’s four-page policy document commits to “respecting the human rights of everyone whose lives we touch — including our employees, suppliers, contractors, and customers.” But it does not cite any particular country, like China, where the company has been asked to ban apps that allow users to circumvent censorship before. According to Apple’s policy document (PDF), this approach is based on the United Nation’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.