Apple isn’t the only one removing the Confederate flag from its point of sale platform (the iTunes App Store, in this case). Many developers whose apps had the flag as part of the historical context have reported that their Civil War apps have been removed from the App Store. According to a report by Tech Crunch, a number of countries such as Apple, Walmart, Sears, eBay, Amazon, and others, recently announced bans on Confederate flag merchandise sales after the shooting took place in Charleston, S.C. last week.
Apple responded to requests for comment and said:
We have removed apps from the App Store that use the Confederate flag in offensive or mean-spirited ways, which is in violation of our guidelines. We are not removing apps that display the Confederate flag for educational or historical uses.
As of right now, it’s not clear what exact rules Apple is following when it yanks an app, and a lot of the ones pulled are from the Civil war. It’s just a matter of time to see if those ones are re-instated once the company reviews the content and intent.
