Apple and surveillance

Tim Cook was among the many corporate executives at the current occupant’s dinner for Mohammed bin Salman last night. From a New York Times article inventorying the guests and their ties to Saudi Arabia:

Apple has spent over $2 billion with companies in Saudi Arabia over the past five years, and during a visit to the country in late 2024, Mr. Cook pledged to open Apple stores there by 2026. The company has faced some blowback for hosting a Saudi app that allows men to track the movement of their wives and daughters. In 2019, Mr. Cook said he would investigate the app, but it is still available today.

So the App Store removes apps that allow users to track ICE, but not an app that allows men to track the movement of their wives and daughters.

Shame on Apple.

And as a gay man, Tim Cook should know that Saudi Arabia criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. The maximum penalty, though it doesn’t appear to have been enforced for several years, is death. The current occupant said yesterday that Prince Mohammed is “incredible” on human rights.