Apple App Store's removal of Duterte-related games
In November 2017, Apple quietly removed games in its iOS App Store that were related to the controversial Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. This was done after an open letter signed by multiple international organizations was sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
A link to a copy of the letter can be found at the bottom of this article.[doc 1]
About
Background
The 16th president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, was controversial for his anti-drug campaign from 2016 that resulted in thousands of Filipinos dead through extra-judicial killings. This prompted human rights advocates worldwide to condemn the Philippine government.
Open letter to Apple CEO
On October 10, 2017, the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD) organization sent an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.[1] The letter, which was signed by 131 organizations, requested that Apple should immediately remove applications from the App Store that "are promoting murder, extrajudicial killings, violence, and the war on drugs in the Philippines.".
The letter claimed that several Duterte-related games "actively promote these atrocities occurring in the Philippines" and that they "valorize and normalize the emerging tyranny of Duterte's presidency and his government's disregard for human rights principles."
It argued that because those games mirrored the realities in the Philippines, they are considered offensive and distasteful. It gave the following games as examples:
- Duterte Fighting Crime
- Duterte Knows Kung Fu
- Duterte Running Man Challenge
- Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba!
- Duterte vs. Zombies
Removal
On late November 2017, Apple quietly removed most of Duterte-related games on the iOS App Store. ANPUD hailed it as a victory, though both Tim Cook and Apple did not give them a direct response.[2][3]
Government response
Philippine National Police's then-Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who was unaware of the games in circulation, welcomed the decision by Apple. He stated that the game creators made the wrong interpretation, and that "Tokhang" (the code name for the anti-drug operation) is not about shooting people.[4]
Similar efforts for Google Play
On September 12, 2017, a petition was started by the Drug Policy Alliance organization to demand Google to take down Duterte-related games in Google Play. Google did not act on this petition.[5]
References
- An Open Letter to Apple CEO Mr. Tim Cook. October 10, 2017. ANPUD press release author. ANPUD website. Retrieved on 2023-04-01.
- Apple quietly removes games that glorify extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. November 28, 2017. Sasha Lekach. Mashable. Retrieved on 2023-04-01.
- Apple takes down Tokhang mobile games. November 28, 2017. Janvic Mateo. The Philippine Star. Retrieved on 2023-04-01.
- PNP chief welcomes Apple decision to drop ‘Tokhang’ mobile games. November 28, 2017 at 06:42 PM. Tetch Torres-Tupas. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved on 2023-04-01.
- Google is Capitalizing off Duterte's Horrific Drug War in the Philippines. September 12, 2017. Derek Rosenfeld. Drug Policy Alliance blog. Retrieved on 2023-04-01.