Oh My: Apple Bans Foxconn iPhone App
Apple has banned a game that depicts the working conditions and suicides related to Foxconn.
It should come as no surprise that Apple's tight approval process allowed a game depicting Foxconn working conditions and the increasing number of suicides to appear on the App Store for just four days. What is surprising is that the app actually went live on Apple's platform in the first place, thus proving that -- as we've seen time and time again -- the approval process isn't exactly perfect.
According to the product description, Phone Story is a game for iOS and Android-based devices that "attempts to provoke a critical reflection on its own technological platform. Under the shiny surface of our electronic gadgets, behind its polished interface, hides the product of a troubling supply chain that stretches across the globe. Phone Story represents this process with four educational games (Coltan, Suicides, Obsolescence and eWaste) that make the player symbolically complicit in coltan extraction in Congo, outsourced labor in China, e-waste in Pakistan and gadget consumerism in the West."
Apple claims that the app was pulled because it violated four rules for iOS app creation: depictions of child abuse (code 15.2), objectionable or crude content (16.1) and promises to turn over a portion of the money to charity (21.1 and 21.2). According to the developer, 70-percent of the app revenue will pay the bills and salaries. The other 30-percent will supposedly be redirected to organizations that are fighting corporate abuses. Festivals and art institutions that are interested in exhibiting the game are asked to contribute to the cause instead of paying artist fees.
In addition to the violations, the app probably made the iPhone and iPad developer extremely uncomfortable given that Foxconn is China's largest private employer, encompassing a labor force of around 1.2 million people that are partially responsible for building Apple's popular gadgets. Twenty-five workers have attempted suicide since 2007, twenty-one of which have died mostly by jumping off work buildings or dorm rooftops.
To reflect these numbers, players in Phone Story's "Suicides" mini-game take the role of a net-bearing medical staff employee who is attempting to catch workers as they throw themselves off the roof. This mirrors Foxconn's real-world attempt to catch suicide jumpers by installing nets around the building. CEO Terry Gou has even reached out to social workers, psychologists and Buddhist monks to help curb the number of deaths. There were fourteen successful attempts in 2010 alone, and so far three have managed to leap to their death in 2011.
Interested consumers who missed the iOS app when it was briefly available on Apple's App Store can download the Android version here via the Android Market. The app is actually difficult to find in the actual Market, but can be located by searching for the developer, "Molleindustria" instead of the app's title.
*Hat tip goes to user Pyree. Thanks!
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I Despise Apple, but this is just SiCK.
A new low for humanity!
It's amazing how hypocritical Apple can be. Why does is matter in cyberspace, but it doesn't matter in real life?
im glad they care enough to protect us from a video game depicting graphic content and child abuse, thank the lord.
Yeah I noticed how the article here mentioned that Foxconn started to take action BUT I HEARD NOTHING MENTIONED ABOUT APPLE MAKING SOME EFFORT TO REMEDIATE WORKERS ISSUES.
Apple doesn't own the factory BUT the stuff that comes out of it has Apples name on it so I think if they are a responsible corporate citizen they need to get involved at the plant level and do something to solve the problems too.
hahahahahahahahahaha i can still download it from installous and totally FREE, JAILBREAK RULES!
Commie hypocrites.
App prolly got pulled because it would not pay the Apple Gestapo rate of 20%
wait till they make it for android FREE APPS WITH NO MODDING RULES!!!! LOL
And of course YOUR PCs and Android phones (yes, YOURS) are "more socially responsible"... have no FoxConn components... and non-Foxconn Chinese factories are better, and more closely supervised... and the manufacturers make more accurate claims than Apple...
Oh, wait. None of the above are true.
If there is a problem which consumers must be held responsible for, I guarantee Android and PC owners are exactly as liable as Apple owners. That means YOU, dear reader. YOU, personally, have exactly as much blood on your hands, and the anti-Apple screed is just a chain of lies and hypocrisy.
im glad they care enough to protect us from a video game depicting graphic content and child abuse, thank the lord.
Because people who play this game will resort to violence and abuse their children right?
The only thing Apple is protecting is their own image. If you need protection and censorship on video games from Apple, then all I can say is iSheeeep?
The app really isn't that bad.. It was almost certainly removed because it puts Apple and companies like them in a bad light rather than on moral grounds.
"im glad they care enough to protect us from a video game depicting graphic content and child abuse, thank the lord."
I think i can protect myself, thank you. I do not need someone to choose for me what is right or not, and it's very annoying when some game, app or product gets banned from the market 'couse "they" think so.
But... if they hire the proper amount of staff, to afford normal shifts, and hire proper miners, paying them the right salary, and recycle in the right way which is probably more expensive, then a phone would cost 1000$, not 499 or so, and we won't be able to afford a new one every year!
OH THE HUMANITY!!!
I fail to see the relationship. I know the working conditions are/may be bad...but lets look at a city here in the US the has a population of 1.2 million and see what the suicide rate is.
I'm not trying to justify Foxconn's business practices but unsubstantiated accusations are unacceptable.
And of course YOUR PCs and Android phones (yes, YOURS) are "more socially responsible"... have no FoxConn components... and non-Foxconn Chinese factories are better, and more closely supervised... and the manufacturers make more accurate claims than Apple...Oh, wait. None of the above are true.If there is a problem which consumers must be held responsible for, I guarantee Android and PC owners are exactly as liable as Apple owners. That means YOU, dear reader. YOU, personally, have exactly as much blood on your hands, and the anti-Apple screed is just a chain of lies and hypocrisy.
I would say that you have a point, but there is one problem with your statement and that is Apple has the highest profit margin of any consumer electronics company in the world whether you are talking about computers or Ipod/Iphones
Foxconn pays for the livelihood of millions of Chinese families, lifting them out of poverty. That's more than any government has ever done in the history of man.
I did the math for the US using suicide statistics for 1.2 million people over 4 years. That is 11.2 people per year per 100000. On average 530 of them would have killed themselves over that period. So when are Foxconn getting a medal? And why do articles keep referring to this statistic. 25 suicides is not at all interesting beyond how incredibly low it is even for developed countries. Same math for China's population = 316 over 4 years. Boycotting Foxconn would just mean these people would have no jobs at all.
And of course YOUR PCs and Android phones (yes, YOURS) are "more socially responsible"... have no FoxConn components... and non-Foxconn Chinese factories are better, and more closely supervised... and the manufacturers make more accurate claims than Apple...Oh, wait. None of the above are true.If there is a problem which consumers must be held responsible for, I guarantee Android and PC owners are exactly as liable as Apple owners. That means YOU, dear reader. YOU, personally, have exactly as much blood on your hands, and the anti-Apple screed is just a chain of lies and hypocrisy.
The funny thing about this is that most of the crapple buyers are the hipster type, human rights activists and eco people. Irony is a bitch dude.
I guarantee you that pc/android people haven't generated anywhere near the demand that crapple products have. Don't quote figures that android outsells crapple because that doesn't mean anything. There are at least 3 big android manufacturers so the products are more distributed. Even when something big like the PS3 or Xbox 360 came out there weren't reports of suicides like this and those 2 items generated some pretty big demand. Face it, if you buy crapple products you're buying from a company that only cares about YOU which of course is what most of YOU crapple people like anyway.
I did the math for the US using suicide statistics for 1.2 million people over 4 years. That is 11.2 people per year per 100000. On average 530 of them would have killed themselves over that period. So when are Foxconn getting a medal? And why do articles keep referring to this statistic. 25 suicides is not at all interesting beyond how incredibly low it is even for developed countries. Same math for China's population = 316 over 4 years. Boycotting Foxconn would just mean these people would have no jobs at all.
How many of these suicides took place at their place of work though? That's the big question and why this has drawn more reporting.
Another day, another anti-Apple article on Tom's. Of course Apple blocked this game; it has a mini-game where you try to catch workers committing suicide. It's a tasteless (though amusing) game intended to troll and nothing else.
I noticed you guys conveniently ignored the news (that every other site covered) about the Droid Bionic making a high-pitched noise when you use the headphone jack. If it was an Apple product with this issue, it would have been posted (and trolled) instantly.
Would it be too much to ask for some genuine news articles? You know, something useful like Bulldozer benchmarks instead of troll-bait articles about Apple? Please?
App prolly got pulled because it would not pay the Apple Gestapo rate of 20%
I thought it was 30% ????
...
OH NO
THATS EVEN WORSE!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing is more offensive than the truth.
How many of these suicides took place at their place of work though? That's the big question and why this has drawn more reporting.
People who live where they work also commit suicide where they work. Nothing unusual about that.
The sad part is that working conditions and wages at Foxconn are probably pretty good by Chinese standards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj9JVXzoOYQ
weaselsquisher: You're right. The problem with your idiotic rant is that Android and the entire PC ecosystem aren't even going to ATTEMPT to censor it the way Apple is.
That, my friend, is the point.
They installed suicide nets: PROBLEM SOLVED. (sarcasm)
As much as I cant stand Apple, I must say it's incredible how the Chinese Government and the company (FOXCONN) get a free pass when it's their responsibility! Apple is their customer!
Another day, another anti-Apple article on Tom's. Of course Apple blocked this game; it has a mini-game where you try to catch workers committing suicide. It's a tasteless (though amusing) game intended to troll and nothing else.I noticed you guys conveniently ignored the news (that every other site covered) about the Droid Bionic making a high-pitched noise when you use the headphone jack. If it was an Apple product with this issue, it would have been posted (and trolled) instantly.Would it be too much to ask for some genuine news articles? You know, something useful like Bulldozer benchmarks instead of troll-bait articles about Apple? Please?
funny thing is, it will get re designed, and replaced when the problem is solved, unlike the YOU ARE HOLDING IT WRONG, that apple got.
Uh huh. And how many of you are posting your angry little fanboi rants on products made by Foxconn or another company that employs similar slave-labor tactics? The answer would be all of you.
Uh huh. And how many of you are posting your angry little fanboi rants on products made by Foxconn or another company that employs similar slave-labor tactics? The answer would be all of you.
As the game itself says with the minerals part which is 100% true. We all aid such awful things even if we are unaware of it. This does not mean people should not be upset or against it like you suggest however. I find your lack of humanity quite disturbing really.
Are you saying that you openly and fully support the mistreatment of human beings?
Even to the extreme?
Also, FYI it doesn't take to be a fan-boy to be appalled and express ones discontent.
Just because one may not like the entire process used to make a iPhone does not mean
they are heavy supporters of another company. A person is not limited to one extreme or another.
And of course YOUR PCs and Android phones (yes, YOURS) are "more socially responsible"... have no FoxConn components... and non-Foxconn Chinese factories are better, and more closely supervised... and the manufacturers make more accurate claims than Apple...Oh, wait. None of the above are true.If there is a problem which consumers must be held responsible for, I guarantee Android and PC owners are exactly as liable as Apple owners. That means YOU, dear reader. YOU, personally, have exactly as much blood on your hands, and the anti-Apple screed is just a chain of lies and hypocrisy.
I would say that you have a point, but there is one problem with your statement and that is Apple has the highest profit margin of any consumer electronics company in the world whether you are talking about computers or Ipod/Iphones
Now let me continue my thought. (Damn work gets in the way of everything)
Apple is the biggest douchebag company in the tech industry, they could produce all of there products in the U.S. and still make over 50% profit. People will say well every other company could do the same thing and this is not try by a long shot. The phase "Apple tax" is just not a saying its the truth. If you wish to buy Apple products that's fine but don't believe that the product you pay more for is because it cost more to produce, you pay more for it because Apple charges you more and you pay it.
If Apple was a moral company it could easily ensure that the workers in the division of Foxconn that produce its products receive more money than any other workers and still make more profit on there products than any other company but they don't because they are greedy.
Apple is the worst offender of any other company because it has the power to change this type slave labor and still be very profitable but it doesn't. To any and all Apple fans, just face the fact that Apple does not care about anything other than there own bottom line and anytime you buy one of there products you contribute to there greed.