Apple doesn’t officially offer music through the Chinese version of iTunes, but it also doesn’t prevent users from accessing music through other non-Chinese versions of iTunes. So when �Songs for Tibet� was released earlier this month, iTunes went dark. Most of the songs don’t mention Tibet directly. While China’s initial response has backed off from its initial Draconian announcement, says this professor. In the past, many tech companies like Yahoo and Google have altered their services to match the sensitivities of the Chinese government, but Apple is a new player in China. many in the tech community if Apple was simply following directions given by the Chinese government, but this analyst thinks there’s no evidence to suggest Apple was complicit with the Chinese government’s requests, and that the Chinese government could’ve taken the action of blocking iTunes on its own. this professor adds that as Apple tries to crack the China market, it’ll have to follow the same rules that every other tech company does in China. This certainly won’t be the last time artistic freedoms clash with China’s regime.
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