Backlash from the Charleston shooting is spilling into the digital realm as more Conferdate flag imagery is removed. This time, Apple is pulling iOS apps the feature the Confederate flag, most notably games that feature the flag. Other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Sears and eBay have also pulled items containing the Confederate flag, but those actions have been largely restricted to clothing, memorabilia and the flag itself.
Most puzzling is Apple’s haphazard application of their removal. Some apps that feature the Confederate flag like historical apps from the History Channel have been untouched due to their historical context. Games however, that also feature the flag in its historical context, have been mostly removed. Once again it looks as if the standard is being applied differently to games, with a harsher standard being applied to them.
In some ways, it represents how the Swastika is sometimes missing from mainstream games. However, in those cases, the German side can be represented by other German war-time flags. In this case, it might be possible for developers to resubmit their games with the lesser known first Confederate flag and hope that goes through. It’s a shame though that Apple has taken an axe to games in particular without considering the historical context. Hopefully the next time a removal is done, Apple takes the time to properly judge apps to see if the use of the offensive imagery is justified.
Thank you TouchArcade for the information
