Apple plays safe, disables iOS news app in China

By Alexei Oreskovic

NEW YORK: Apple has disabled its News app on iPhones in China. The Apple News app, which serves up stories and media from various news organisations, is currently only available to users in the US and is being tested in Britain and Australia.

Users who have the app on their iPhones can continue to use it in other countries when they travel — except in China, according to the New York Times.

When a user opens the Apple News app in China, the top of the app which would normally display the latest news, simply shows a message reading “Can't refresh right now. News isn’t supported in your current region,” the report says. China has strict self-censorship rules that internet companies must abide by, in addition to the country’s so-called “great firewall” which blocks or slows many foreign web services.

According to the New York Times, China is now Apple’s second-largest market, contributing $13 billion to Apple’s topline sales in the third quarter.