Apple pulled thousands of betting apps from its Chinese iStore. This happened after the state-run broadcaster accused the smartphone brand of delaying the process of cleaning up all barred content.
The Chinese Government-Controlled broadcast
The national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) attacked Apple for holding illegal and false lottery-ticket apps, which led to huge losses for deceived users.
CCTV’s Report on Apple
CCTV reported that Apple pulled at about 4,000 online gambling apps off the iStore on Aug 9, 2018. The US Firm confirmed the news and said that it was complying with the regulations. The action underlines both Beijing’s growing crackdown on all types of internet content. This is from social media, games and video services.
Foreign companies face difficulties doing business in the world’s second-largest economy. Apple is no exception, they have had to eliminate a lot of apps off their store.
“Gambling apps are not allowed at any App store in China,” Apple said. “We have removed a lot of apps and also developers to distribute unlawful betting apps on our App Store, and we are watchful in our efforts to find these and to stop them from making it to the App Store.”
Apple’s Business in China
The US business has a lot at stake in China, its principal market after the United States, also the main manufacture base for the world’s iPads and iPhones. Its marketplace position, however, came under attack from gamers, from Xiaomi to Huawei Technologies which offer their device users country-oriented services.
Conclusion: What the Future holds for Apple in China.
The sharp scrutiny from government watchdogs accords with growing trade war with the US. All this has charged disciplinary tariffs on Chinese goods in what is taken as an effort to counter the Asian country’s dominance. There are fears that the growing tension will eventually make Chinese players embark/boycott American goods. While apps are a drop in terms of revenue for Apple, their response proves the tricky position that foreign business finds themselves in when they operate in a state that can be impulsive in how it regulates content.