Skip to main content

Democratic and Republican lawmakers criticize Apple, Blizzard in letter

Several U.S. lawmakers composed two bipartisan letters this week calling out Apple and Blizzard Entertainment and condemning both companies’ recent decisions that were allegedly made to appease Chinese businesses.

The first letter, addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, expressed “strong concern” regarding the company’s decision to remove HKMap from its App Store. HKMap allows users to keep tabs on police occupancy and was utilized by Hong Kong activists on the pro-democracy side of the ongoing debate. Apple removed the app earlier this month, claiming that it was being used for criminal activity. HKMap’s developers later stated that there was no evidence supporting the claim.

Recommended Videos

“In the face of brutal repression, tools like HKMap let peaceful demonstrators share locations to avoid and help to keep peaceful protesters out of harm’s way,” the letter says. “Cases like these raise [a] real concern about whether Apple and other large U.S. corporate entities will bow to growing Chinese demands rather than lose access to a billion Chinese consumers.”

Lawmakers that collaborated on the letter include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), and Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-New Jersey).

The second letter was authorized by some of the same lawmakers and addressed to Robert Kotick, CEO of Blizzard parent company Activision Blizzard. Similar to the first letter, lawmakers criticized the company’s recent decisions, including its decision to ban a competitive Hearthstone player after he voiced his support for the Hong Kong protesters.

Hearthstone player Chung Ng Wai
Hearthstone player Chung Ng Wai Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Your company claims to stand by one’s right to express individual thoughts and opinions,” the lawmakers said. “Because your company is such a pillar of the gaming industry, your disappointing decision could have a chilling effect on gamers who seek to use their platform to promote human rights and basic freedoms.”

Other incidents not addressed in the letter, but just as relevant to the company’s criticism, include Blizzard Entertainment issuing a six-month ban to three collegiate Heathstone players after the trio held up a “Free Hong Kong, Boycott Blizz” sign during a competition stream. The company has also been banning anyone caught posting pro-Hong Kong comments on the Hearthstone Twitch chat.

The protest began in March in opposition to a proposed extradition bill and have since expanded to include other grievances and demands for greater democracy.

Taylor Lyles
Based out of Baltimore, Maryland, Taylor is a contributing writer for Digital Trends covering the latest news in the computer…
The PlayStation 5 rental business is booming in the best way
Playstation 5 system and DualSense controller.

In early March, PlayStation Direct launched a program that allowed players to rent a PlayStation 5 for a low monthly cost, and it has proven to be a massive success in Japan. Reports indicate that of the roughly 400 stores offering the service in the country, many have sold out. Players can rent a PlayStation 5 for eight days for just under $7, or for 15 days for around $12.

There's a similar service available in the UK that has met with similar levels of success. Unfortunately, there isn't an option like this available in the United States. While a PlayStation 5 can be rented through some services, they tend to be rent-to-own options that aren't as budget-friendly as what PlayStation Direct offers.

Read more
All Infinite Craft recipes
A bunch of recipes in Infinite Craft.

Since its release, Infinite Craft has been rising up the ranks of the best iPhone games and best Android games. As a game made by one person, that's incredibly impressive. The concept is simple, but incredibly addictive. You will combine some basic elements to create new ones, which you can then use in more combinations to make even more complex things. The number of possible recipes quickly spirals out of control, and even after we've sunk dozens of hours into the game ourselves, we still have a hard time remembering how to make certain things. If you need a little help finding a specific recipe, we spent days combining everything in the game to complete this recipe list for you.

Every recipe in Infinite Craft

Read more
The Oblivion remake is real, and all will be revealed about it very soon
Oblivion remake

Bethesda has finally confirmed The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake is real, and the studio will hold a livestream tomorrow morning at 11 AM ET (8 AM PT) to give players more details. The long-rumored and discussed remaster is one of the worst-kept secrets in the gaming industry, but it's still a pleasant surprise to see confirmation from Bethesda itself that the game will return.

The news comes via Bethesda's social media accounts, which shared an image of a helmeted warrior with the Roman numeral "IV" in front of it. The company is clearly enjoying itself, as clicking the YouTube link leads to a video titled, "All will be revealed..." The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion preceded Skyrim and introduced players to the land of Cyrodil, and its lore tied closely into the story of the subsequent game.

Read more