Apple removes New York Times’ news apps from iTunes stores in China

Apple Inc has removed the New York Times Co's English- and Chinese-language news apps from its iTunes store in China on the request of the local authorities, the companies separately said today.

The apps, which the newspaper said were removed on 23 December, are the latest western services to fall foul of Chinese authorities, which had earlier blocked Apple's own iBooks and iTunes Movies stores, which had been blocked since April.

Their removal comes only a month following the Cyberspace Administration of China call for greater media scrutiny, citing fears of social disorder, moral harm and threats to national security. "The development of the internet in China must respect China's laws and regulations, in principle," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to a question about the apps.

The New York Times had asked Apple to reconsider the decision, New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told Reuters.

"The request by the Chinese authorities to remove our apps is part of their wider attempt to prevent readers in China from accessing independent news coverage by The New York Times of that country," Murphy said.

The Times' websites had been blocked by the Chinese government since 2012, after a series of articles on the wealth of the family of then-prime minister Wen Jiabao, The New York Times reported.

''We have been informed that the app is in violation of local regulations,'' said Carolyn Wu, an Apple spokeswoman. ''As a result the app must be taken down off the China app store. When this situation changes the app store will once again offer the New York Times app for download in China.''

In 2016 Apple publicly rebuked the US government for pressuring the company to unlock an iPhone that belonged to a suspected terrorist. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, had stated at the time that complying with the government request would be ''setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone's civil liberties''.