Come Pride month, Apple is constantly promoting its commitment to celebrating equality and diversity in all ways, but it looks like Apple has its exceptions.
For instance, Apple announced the Pride Apple Watch face back in June. The design is reminiscent of the Pride flag and is meant to boldly announce Apple, and Apple users’, support for LGBTQ people.
Unfortunately, iOS developer Guilherme Rambo discovered yesterday that the Apple Watch face has been “hardcoded to not show up if the paired iPhone is using the Russian locale.”
After Rambo made this announcement, Verge reporter Tom Warren tested out the device and found that the Watch face disappears as soon as the connected iPhone switches to a Russian location.
Plus, the Mirror reports that the optional Apple’s Watch Pride strap also doesn’t sell in the country of Russia.
Again, this development is confusing as Apple has openly supported LGBTQ rights before, but it seems like it all comes down to money and the law.
In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed in a “gay propaganda” law. The law is supposedly designed to protect Russian citizens, specifically the youth, from being subjected to viewing LGBTQ content.
It seems that by banning the Apple Watch Pride face, Apple preemptively blocked the design from appearing in Russian quarters. As such, there’s no risk of being fined by the government.
That said, that’s only an assumption made by those who have discovered this hardcoding. In addition, Apple hasn’t made a comment on this development since Rambo initially pointed it out yesterday.
h/t: The Verge, The Mirror, Fast Company
Why is Putin so afraid of
Why is Putin so afraid of homosexual men? Homosexuality is natural found in nature not only in human but across the animal kingdom. There is nothing inherently wrong about homosexuality. Homosexuality doe snot make you a criminal. Then what is Putin's issue with homosexuality, unless Putin is projecting a deep-seated fear about himself that he doesn't know how to deal with?
Uh, by the way, the vast majority of child abusers are heterosexual men; not gay men. Perhaps Putin is a pedophile inside…