'Illegal Religious Texts' - Apple Removes Quran and Bible Apps in China at the Request of Govt Officials

Apple removed a Quran app and a Bible app at the request of Chinese officials.

The Chinese officials said the apps, Quran Majeed and Bible App by Olive Tree, broke laws on “illegal religious texts.”

Apple removed the apps because it is their policy to “comply with local laws.”

“According to Apple, our app Quran Majeed has been removed from the China App Store because it includes content that is illegal in China as determined by the CAC, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines,” Hasan Shafiq Ahmed, head of growth at Pakistan Data Management, told Business Insider in an email.

Business Insider reported:

Apple has taken down a Quran app and a Bible app in China at the request of Chinese officials, the company confirmed to the BBC.

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The apps, which are called Quran Majeed and Bible App by Olive Tree, were first reported as having been taken down by activist website Apple Censorship on Tuesday.

Apple directed the BBC to its Human Rights policy, which says: “We’re required to comply with local laws, and at times there are complex issues about which we may disagree with governments and other stakeholders on the right path forward. “

Apple told the BBC that Chinese officials had said the apps breached laws on hosting illegal religious texts.

Quran Majeed has over 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store, while Bible App by Olive Tree has just over 1 million.

The developer of the Quran Majeed app confirmed to Insider the app had been removed from China’s App Store, and said Apple had instructed it to contact the the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).