Apple's Maps and Weather apps now show Crimea as Russian territory

[midian182]

A hot potato: Apple has gained a reputation for kowtowing to the demands of foreign governments, usually China, but it seems Cupertino is also eager to comply with Russia. The company’s Maps and Weather apps now show the annexed Crimean peninsula as part of Russian territory.

Russia occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014, but most nations still recognize it as part of Ukraine. Now, the peninsula is listed as Russian territory, though only when searched for with the apps within Russia. In other countries, Crimea is not shown as part of any country.

BBC News writes that Apple has been in talks with Russia for several months over what the State Duma—the Russian parliament’s lower house—has called an “inaccuracy.” The iPhone maker suggested showing Crimea as undefined territory, but the government wanted it listed as part of Russia.

Just checked on my phone, it's true!
=
Apple has complied with Moscow’s demands to show Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as Russian territory. Crimea & the cities of Sevastopol & Simferopol are now displayed as Rus. territory on Apple’s map & weather apps when used in Russia

— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) 27 November 2019

“Apple fulfilled its obligations and brought the applications on its devices in compliance with the requirements of the Russian legislation,” reads the State Duma website.

Vasily Piskaryov, chairman of the Duma security and anti-corruption committee, said Apple had complied with the Russian constitution. "There is no going back," he said. "Today, with Apple, the situation is closed - we have received everything we wanted."

Back in October, Apple removed a Hong Kong protest app and Quartz news app from its store following criticism from Chinese state media. The country is Apple’s third-largest market, which goes some way to explaining the move. It’s also removed VPN apps used to circumvent China’s great firewall, and recently removed the Taiwan flag emoji from iOS keyboards in Hong Kong.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has long defended his company’s actions. “When you go into a country and participate in the market, you are subject to the laws and regulations of that country,” he said in 2017. But this latest move will doubtlessly bring a slew of criticism.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/82961-apple-now-shows-crimea-russian-territory-maps-weather.html

 

[Squid Surprise]

When it comes to international borders, might makes right.... Consider how long it took the US to recognize that Jerusalem was actually the capitol of Israel...

Ukraine was always really part of Russia (USSR basically WAS Russia) and the Crimean peninsula only belonged to the Ukraine because of the basic anarchy going on during the collapse of the USSR. There is no real reason to think that the Ukraine has any more of a right to it than Russia.

For those who study history, I think Turkey probably has just as strong a claim on it

 

[quadibloc]

Apple's applications are now clearly inaccurate, since even the latest editions of atlases produced by reputable firms in the Western world still show the internationally-recognized borders of the Ukraine.

If Apple products sold within Russia show Crimea in the Ukraine, or Apple products sold in China show Taiwan in the PRC, that's understandable. But for them to do so anywhere else in the world is to invite, at the least, ridicule.

 

[quadibloc]

Ukraine was always really part of Russia

Ukrainians speak Ukrainian, not Russian, so they're a distinct ethnic group. That they may have languished under Russian rule for a long period of history is irrelevant. Millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, an artificial famine created by Stalin in the nineteen-thirties.

Hopefully, someday justice will be done, and the Ukraine will be in a position to dictate peace terms including reparations payments to a helpless defeated Russia. Also, Russian taxpayers will be faced with reimbursing the U.S. for a large fraction of its defence budget ever since 1946 or thereabouts, with accrued interest.

 

[Uncle Al]

Perhaps Apple should move there to show their loyalty to the Russian Federation and we'll see how long they last!

 

[Squid Surprise]

Ukrainians speak Ukrainian, not Russian, so they're a distinct ethnic group. That they may have languished under Russian rule for a long period of history is irrelevant. Millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, an artificial famine created by Stalin in the nineteen-thirties.

Hopefully, someday justice will be done, and the Ukraine will be in a position to dictate peace terms including reparations payments to a helpless defeated Russia. Also, Russian taxpayers will be faced with reimbursing the U.S. for a large fraction of its defence budget ever since 1946 or thereabouts, with accrued interest.

Yes... but that’s the Ukraine... not the Crimea... the Crimean peninsula came into RUSSIAN territory after previously being a part of the Ottoman Empire... the only reason they were a part of the Ukraine was because of some internal politicking by the Soviets during the USSR era.

I’m not arguing the ethics or “niceness” of Russia - the atrocities committed by that nation are pretty awful. Not just to Ukrainians! But it’s not like the people in the Crimea were living in a utopian Ukrainian paradise and were then seized by Russia. They were being subjugated by the Ukrainians - now they’re being subjugated by the Russians... I suspect if you actually asked the “natives”, they’d tell you that nothing much has changed.

 

[magdziam]

They might last shorter than Gérard Depardieu did

 

[poohbear]

When it comes to international borders, might makes right.... Consider how long it took the US to recognize that Jerusalem was actually the capitol of Israel...

Ukraine was always really part of Russia (USSR basically WAS Russia) and the Crimean peninsula only belonged to the Ukraine because of the basic anarchy going on during the collapse of the USSR. There is no real reason to think that the Ukraine has any more of a right to it than Russia.

For those who study history, I think Turkey probably has just as strong a claim on it

Jerusalem was never the capitol of Israel, it was to be shared with the Palestinians. Annexing it doesn't suddenly make it Israeli. Israel (ie European Jewish immigrants in the 20s & 30s that immigrated because of the massive antisemitism in Europe) has only been around for 71 years (when it was "founded" in 1948), the Arabs have been there (in Palestine) for 1,382 years (when the Rashidun Caliphate took it in 637). But sure, it's "Israeli".

I have no horse in that race, but facts are facts.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Jerusalem was never the capitol of Israel, it was to be shared with the Palestinians. Annexing it doesn't suddenly make it Israeli. Israel (ie European Jewish immigrants in the 20s & 30s that immigrated because of the massive antisemitism in Europe) has only been around for 71 years (when it was "founded" in 1948), the Arabs have been there (in Palestine) for 1,382 years (when the Rashidun Caliphate took it in 637). But sure, it's "Israeli".

I have no horse in that race, but facts are facts.

Lol... there have been Jews living in the area now known as "Israel" for about 3,000 years... And Jerusalem was the capitol back before the Temple was destroyed in 70CE by the Romans...

But this is besides the point... my point is that regardless of whether Jerusalem SHOULD be the capitol, it wasn't until various nations gave up on reclaiming it that it became recognized... There are still Greeks out there who will tell you that Constantinople belongs to them - but the rest of the world now recognizes it as being part of Turkey and call it Istanbul.

With the Crimean Peninsula, there will almost certainly be people (mostly Ukrainians) claiming that it should belong to them.... but since there's really nothing they can do about it, eventually it will be recognized as being part of Russia. Might makes right...

Again, before you get angry - I'm not saying this is RIGHT... I'm simply saying it's how the world works.

 

[bas416]

Black Sea fleet naval Base. All else is just justifying.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Black Sea fleet naval Base. All else is just justifying.

Exactly - and what are the odds that Russia will willingly give that up? And what are the odds that the rest of the world will risk a major war (see World War) to take it back?

Hence... might makes right...

 

[amghwk]

Apple would even please the satan to sell iPhones in hell.

(And so do most corporates.)

 

[Arbie]

Do they show Russia as German territory?

 

[mbrowne5061]

Exactly - and what are the odds that Russia will willingly give that up? And what are the odds that the rest of the world will risk a major war (see World War) to take it back?

Hence... might makes right...

They won't bother mainly because the Russian fleet has to pass through Bosporus in order to go anywhere important. For now, it remains bottled up and useless in the Black Sea. If Turkey continues to get closer to Russia, just watch how important Crimea belonging to Ukraine becomes to the US again.

 

[total]

Everyone who says "might makes right" - when some strong country wins a war against yours and annexes parts of your country or just your whole country - don't ever talk about human rights and international law, just repeat that might makes right.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Everyone who says "might makes right" - when some strong country wins a war against yours and annexes parts of your country or just your whole country - don't ever talk about human rights and international law, just repeat that might makes right.

Let's be clear here - I didn't claim that "might makes right" was a good thing! It is simply REALITY. Yes, it kind of sucks... I look forward to a future where it doesn't apply....