Tell Apple and Google to Stop Aiding Government Censorship!

Governments like China and Russia have found a convenient new way to censor their citizens: asking American tech companies Apple and Google to remove apps from their App Stores.

Recently, the Chinese government succeeded in getting Apple to remove New York Times apps from the Chinese App Store. The Russian government also succeeded in getting Apple and Google pull LinkedIn's app after the network refused to move its data on Russian citizens to Russian servers. And last week, a Chinese government official asked app stores operating in the country to register with the government.

Registries are often a prerequisite to crackdowns on speech and other civil liberties. None of this is okay.

Governments are cracking down on apps because it is much easier to censor this way than to block websites. Apple and Google need to stop assisting in free speech restrictions.

Please sign this petition to tell Apple and Google to stop bending to oppressive government requests. Ask them to reinstate the New York Times app and LinkedIn's app, and to refuse any other requests to restrict free speech!