On Wednesday, after complaints from the Chinese government, Apple removed HKmap.live, an app that Hong Kong protesters had used to track police movements.
The app's developers sent out a message they said was from Apple suggesting that HKmap.live was removed because it "has been used to target and ambush police" and "threaten public safety".
A new wave of protests began in Hong Kong on Friday after Carrie Lam, the city's chief executive, announced a decision to ban the wearing of masks during protests and other public gatherings. Those who violate the ban may be sentenced to up to a year in prison or be fined 25,000 Hong Kong dollars ($3,200). The protests continued on Saturday.
The mass protests started in the special administrative region in early June as a reaction to a highly unpopular bill that would have allowed people to be extradited to the mainland. The protests eventually escalated into violent confrontations between demonstrators and the police.
