Did you know Apple quietly made ICE agents a 'protected class'?

Did you know that Apple had quietly added Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to its discrimination prohibition protected class? 😳

Normally, these kinds of rules are meant to protect minority groups, right? But apparently, Apple used that rule to remove apps that track immigration enforcement activities from the App Store 💭

What does this mean?

According to leaked internal Apple emails, here's what we learned...

Added ICE officers to the "Protected Class"
That means they included them in the group protected from hate speech and discriminatory remarks ✨
Even though these rules were originally meant to protect minorities like Black people and LGBTQ individuals, somehow ICE officers also became protected 🧐
As a result, apps that monitor and record ICE activities were rejected by Apple as "discriminatory content" 💦

Why is this problematic?

Apps that could track immigration enforcement operations were gaining attention as tools to protect immigrants' rights, but now they're being blocked by a major company like Apple... 🤔

Loss of information transparency
With fewer eyes watching, problems become harder to spot 👀
It distorts the original purpose of anti-discrimination rules
Using rules meant to protect minorities to instead hinder movements that aim to protect vulnerable groups feels a bit off 💭
It makes you realize how much power corporations really have
Sometimes corporate decisions take priority over user voices and social justice, which makes you think 🥺

It feels kinda unsettling...

Since Apple's responses like this don't often make it to the surface, I think many people aren't aware of them 🌸

But it really made me think about how the way we design "who gets protected" rules can completely change the outcomes ✨

The influence that big tech companies hold is truly significant, and how they use it can change the atmosphere of society 💡

If you're interested, you might want to check out the actual news articles too 📌⚡

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It feels kinda sneaky, doesn't it? 💢

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Comments

グレース

Rules that were supposed to protect the vulnerable ended up protecting the most powerful people. Tech companies absolutely need external ethics checks. Self-regulation just doesn't work anymore.

ハンナ

I've been using Apple for 40 years, but watching Tim Cook's approach makes me want to leave.

ハンナ

Apple is gradually destroying its own reputation and trust, this sycophantic behavior will be Tim Cook's negative legacy.

ノーラン

So you're rich and powerful but still bend your own morals to protect the company? Not surprised at all.

ジョージ

Guess even gay people can be bad folks.

クリス

No smart person would be surprised. To rich people, ordinary folks are just another data point.

ノーラン

Apple keeps sucking up to the administration to avoid getting on Donny Dipshit's bad side. Everyone's suffering, but this is what fascism looks like.

サム

Tim Cook and Apple executives should be prosecuted later for treason and conspiracy.

ハンナ

I was thinking about buying a new iPhone and Mac, but I stopped since Apple became the Volkswagen of the MAGA administration. I heard Nazis made good cars back in the day though.