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.
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