Tim Cook won't remove NRA channel from Apple TV

[DeepSouth]

Apple and Amazon have been under some pressure to remove the NRA TV app from their streaming services... see article here

Now Apple, or at least the CEO, has gone on record as saying the National Rifle Association's channel is staying on Apple TV.

From the article

“Democracy without discourse is not a democracy," the Apple CEO said...
Cook admitted to disliking the NRA's "tactics" and "positions" – "Some of the things they've said are unbelievably distasteful," he said – but stressed the importance of representing the NRA "point of view," as well as the "alternate point of view," on the Apple streaming service. If that point of view veers "into the path of hate speech," it's another story, he said. "Then we're cutting it off."
..
"We place the app in the App Store so somebody can go in and download it, and they stream the content," he said. In other words, Apple doesn't stream NRA TV; humans stream NRA TV on Apple.

Full Article Here

I only occasionally watch NRATV but when I do it’s through my Apple TV, to be honest I’ve kind of been expecting it to just be gone one day so I’m glad to see this. With that said, I get nervous when someone talks about censoring “hate speech” without defining hate speech, because many people seem to think anyone speaking in disagreement with them is speaking hate speech.

Anyway, I’m glad to see Apple using a little common sense and not folding to the anti first and second amendment folks... I still say dropping the revolver emoji was stupid, not that I ever used it anyway, but it was still stupid.

 

[Deus Machina]

Don't count Apple or Amazon among our supporters. They're just out to make money.
More people won't buy their product if they drop it. However, some people will use it less if they do.
So the only outcome would be a loss of revenue if they did away with it.

 

[Alec]

Don't count Apple or Amazon among our supporters. They're just out to make money.
More people won't buy their product if they drop it. However, some people will use it less if they do.
So the only outcome would be a loss of revenue if they did away with it.

There are several companies that are currently accepting a loss in revenue in exchange for whatever social capital they hope to gain in supporting the anti-gun movement. Apple could afford to do this too. I regard their choice to make no change as support until they show otherwise.

What would you have them do that would meet your definition of support?

 

[mistermills357]

Well, that is good news, for now anyway.

 

[DeepSouth]

What would you have them do that would meet your definition of support?

That’s a fair question. My view of Apple was basically that they would be generally supportive of anti second amendment policies and legislation. My view of them has changed only slightly, but still I do think better of them today than I did yesterday.

But to answer your question directly. If Cook hadn’t said he didn’t like the NRA’s tactic’s and positions and if he hadn’t said “Some of the things they've said are unbelievably distasteful,"

But had made almost any vague blanket statement about supporting people’s fight to keep and bear arms... that would have meet my definition of support.. though I would admittedly still be a little skeptical.

At this point I’d be extremely happy with a neutral Apple, rather than an anti Apple, a pro 2A Apple is probably fantasy. This statement puts them closer to neutral than I thought they were, and I’m greatful for that.

 

[captmoto]

It sounds like they are supporting the First amendment without coming out and saying it. O'm okay with it but I don't see it lasting.

 

[danez71]

But to answer your question directly. If Cook hadn’t said he didn’t like the NRA’s tactic’s and positions and if he hadn’t said “Some of the things they've said are unbelievably distasteful,"

I actually agree with him on that. I think they could gain more members by changing theor tone to appeal to a border audience.


I do like this part

"We place the app in the App Store so somebody can go in and download it, and they stream the content," he said. In other words, Apple doesn't stream NRA TV; humans stream NRA TV on Apple.

Sounds a lot like 'guns don't kill people, people kill people'.

I like that he isn't selectively applying the logic as the antis so often do.

IMO, that's a really good sign.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I’m not a fan of Tim Cook and I’ve watched Apple bounce around as far as positioning in the IT industry. That said, while I don’t agree with him on his views of the NRA, I’m happy he agrees with those of us who feel free speech is the foundation of our democratic republic.

I also hate the term “hate speech”. To me, it’s a left wing double speak to chip away at free speech. We might not like something someone says, and it may be hateful, but under our Constitution it’s legal barring a few specific things the Supreme Court has ruled illegal (eg yelling fire in a theatre). Now, many may not like it, but if someone want to pass out racist flyers, or yell about a certain group, it may be hateful, but declaring it illegal is a slippery slope to losing our free speech.

So, companies such as Apple who allow content providers to use there platforms have to walk a fine line. I’m not sure where it is, but I’ll alway error on the side of freedom over regulation. A view Cook and the left disagree with and I fear could be declared hate speech if they’re given too much power.