Apple removed HKmap.live, a crowd-sourced mapping app that tracks the locations of police and protestors in Hong Kong, saying it was being used to target both sides. Apple also removed the app of news organization Quartz; its CEO, Zach Seward, said it was because of its continuing coverage of the Hong Kong protests. Meanwhile, Google’s parent company Alphabet pulled The Revolution of Our Times, a game that allowed users to roleplay as Hong Kong protestors, saying it violated its terms by “capitalizing on sensitive events.” Documents show it was removed at the request of the region’s police. (Wall Street Journal, The Verge)

Talking point: The concessions may help the two firms avoid further criticism from Beijing. But the stakes remain high for Apple, as China is both the site of much of its device assembly and its third-largest market. It made almost US$44 billion in the greater China region—which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong sales—in the year ending June 30. Google doesn’t have as great a stake in China, where services like its search engine, Gmail and YouTube are already blocked. Though it pulled the game, the HKmap.live app remains available in the Google Play Store in Hong Kong and elsewhere.