Apple Removes Unofficial WikiLeaks App

Apple Apps Government

Shortly after WikiLeaks faced a wave of financial deplatforming towards the end of 2010, Apple removed an unofficial WikiLeaks app from the App Store. The app, which was being sold for $1.99, displayed the Twitter feed of the official WikiLeaks account, as well as the content that WikiLeaks released.

As to why it was removed, a spokeswoman from Apple said the following in a statement to CNET:

We removed the WikiLeaks app from the App Store because it violated our developer guidelines. Apps must comply with all local laws and may not put an individual or targeted group in harm’s way.

Sources / Relevant Material

  1. TechCrunch "Apple Removes WikiLeaks App From App Store" by Alexia Tsotsis (20 Dec 2010)
  2. CNET "WikiLeaks app yanked from Apple's App Store" by Lance Whitney (21 Dec 2010)
  3. Reuters "Apple drops WikiLeaks app, Google keeps it" by Jim Finkle (22 Dec 2010)