China Restricts iTunes

A pro-Tibet album downloaded by over 40 Olympic athletes while in Beijing has prompted the Chinese government to ban the iTunes music store. The block of Apple’s music store came after the International Campaign for Tibet gave Olympic athletes free access to their collaboration with the Art of Peace Foundation, an album that promotes the freedom and well-being of Tibet.

A pro-Tibet album downloaded by over 40 Olympic athletes while in Beijing has prompted the Chinese government to ban the iTunes music store. The block of Apple’s music store came after the International Campaign for Tibet gave Olympic athletes free access to their collaboration with the Art of Peace Foundation, an album that promotes the freedom and well-being of Tibet.

Several well-known artists participated on the album, including Damien Rice, Moby, and Sting. The album was released to iTunes just before the games began on August 5. “The album was released at a politically sensitive time,” Kate Saunders, of ICT, said. “We spread the word around the athletes before the games that we were offering it to them for free.

Giving the athletes the album was no doubt a “subtle protest” by the ICT, which is likely what sparked the ban. The Chinese government released a statement online detailing what they believe to be citizens “rallying together to denounce Apple,” particularly in the form of boycotting all of the company’s products.

Mark Wohl, executive director of the Art of Peace Foundation, negates iTune’s supposed blame. “iTunes is just an innocent bystander,” he explained. “The album is being sold in hundreds of other stores. It would have been stranger if iTunes had not taken our album. Then that would have been a major political issue.”

For now, iTunes is still banned and it is unclear what China will hold for Apple, who recently set up shop in the country, in the future.