Apple rejects "iSinglePayer" app for being "politically charged"

rejection
It’s tempting, in these cases, to look on Apple as a sort of mother figure. They keep the apps in the app store wholesome, keep you from growing hair on your palms, and prevent you from being exposed to anything that might be controversial or fun on any terms but theirs. Actually, I’m going to give into the temptation – Apple takes a smothering mother role to the iPhone, and rejecting an app like iSinglePayer is more evidence of that.

I remember writing up Election ’08 and thinking wow, this is great, advocacy on a mobile phone. Of course, that app was more impartial, but iSinglePayer is hardly “charged.” It’s attempting to spread information the author thinks is important, and might be useful if you’re in a political argument with a friend. “Here, I’ve got the statistics right on my phone.” Is that too much for mom to handle?

Obviously they don’t want to be embroiled in the health care debate. That’s totally reasonable; neither do I, at least in any professional capacity. But I think that given Apple’s tagline of “Think Different” and their penchant for promoting individuality and freedom, they’d rather allow both sides to have their own app than censor them both. After all, the reason people bought iPhones in the first place was to stay connected with the things that matter to them.

Apple, sometimes love means letting go.