Critics warn of Apple, Google ‘chokepoint’ repression

Google and Apple, whose operating systems run on 99% of the world’s smartphones, have a stranglehold on the markets for the applications that allow users to do everything from watch movies to hail a ride. — Photo by James Yarema on Unsplash

WASHINGTON: The global dominance of tech giants serves as a convenient online chokepoint for authoritarian governments to crack down on dissent or rig elections, critics of Apple and Google said Friday.

The companies were facing international outrage after pulling a Russian opposition voting app off their online marketplaces in response to authorities’ escalating pressure, including arrest threats.