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LBRY alleges Apple forced it to censor certain terms during COVID-19

November 29, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Apple

After Elon Musk lamented the winding back of Apple's Twitter advertising, crypto company LBRY replied about its own troubles with Apple and censorship.

Blockchain-based file-sharing and payment network LBRY has alleged that tech giant Apple forced it to filter out certain search terms during the COVID-19 crisis in an apparent rejection of free speech.

In a Nov. 28 post on Twitter, LBRY alleges it was asked to censor anything related to COVID-19, especially vaccines and the human origins of the virus, or face having its apps removed from the Apple store.

"We had to build a list of over 20 terms to not show results for, only on Apple devices. If we did not filter the terms, our apps would not be allowed in the store," the crypto company alleged.

LBRY is a decentralized content-sharing platform that allows artists, filmmakers, writers and other content creators to retain full artistic and financial control over their work. Its Odysee video-sharing website is one of its best-known apps, but it's unclear if this app was involved in the alleged censorship.

The blockchain firm made the revelation in a response to a post from Elon Musk, who said that Apple has "mostly stopped" advertising on Twitter due to concerns about the social media platforms' content, prompting LBRY to share its experience with Apple during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Covid, Apple demanded our apps filter some search terms from being returned. If we did not filter the terms, our apps would not be allowed in the store.

Apple may make good products, but they have been opposed to free speech for some time.
— LBRY (@LBRYcom) November 28, 2022

LBRY also alleges when some of its users included images of "Pepe the Frog" in videos, Apple "Rejected" them.

Pepe the Frog is an Internet meme of a green anthropomorphic frog originating in 2005, which has since been adopted by protest groups in Hong Kong and used in political-based ideology.

The crypto company said that "Apple may make good products, but they have been opposed to free speech for some time.”

Cointelegraph reached out to Apple for comment but has not received a reply by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, discussions around censorship on Twitter have continued to rage on.

Musk took over Twitter on Oct. 28 and has been teasing the release of the "Twitter Files", supposed proof of a concentrated effort by the previous Twitter administration to stifle free speech on the platform.

The Twitter Files on free speech suppression soon to be published on Twitter itself. The public deserves to know what really happened …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022

Musk's takeover of Twitter and subsequent plans for the platform have seen some users seek out decentralized social networks as an alternative.

Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey recently unveiled a new Bitcoin-powered Bluesky Social app as part of a decentralized answer to Twitter.

The Oct. 18 announcement came roughly three years after the initiative was announced by Dorsey, with the goal of allowing users should to have control over their data and be able to move it from platform to platform without permission.

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Robert Kiyosaki calls Bitcoin a ‘buying opportunity’ as US dollar surges

October 3, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

The best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad has tipped Bitcoin and two other commodities as buying opportunities, noting a U.S. dollar crash could occur by January.

Robert Kiyosaki, businessman and best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad has called Bitcoin, silver and gold a “buying opportunity” amid the strengthening United States dollar and continued interest rate hikes.

In an Oct. 2 Twitter post to his 2.1 million followers, the author noted the prices of the three commodities — sometimes referred to as "safe haven" assets — would continue getting lower as the U.S. dollar strengthens, proving its worth once the “FED pivots” and drops interest rates.

BUYING OPPORTUNITY: if FED continues raising interest rates US $ will get stronger causing gold, silver & Bitcoin prices to go lower. BUY more. When FED pivots and drops interest rates as England just did you will smile while others cry. Take care
— therealkiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki) October 2, 2022

In a post the day before, Kiyosaki predicted this “pivot” could happen as soon as January 2023, which would see the U.S. dollar “crash” in the same way as the recently collapsed English Pound Sterling.

“Will the US dollar follow English Pound Sterling? I believe it will. I believe US dollar will crash by January 2023 after Fed pivots,” said Kiyosaki, adding he “will not be a victim of the F*CKed FED.”

Since as early as May. 2020, Kiyosaki has been a proponent for asset classes that the Fed cannot directly manipulate, having once warned investors to “Get Bitcoin and save yourself” following the Fed’s immediate mass money printing episodes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interestingly, Kiyosaki’s liking for Bitcoin stands despite not believing there’s any value to it, he said in a recent interview on Rich Dad. The author appears to be standing behind Bitcoin again in his most recent tweet, noting:

“When FED pivots and drops interest rates as England just did you will smile while others cry.”

In a September letter to his mailed subscribers, Kiyosaki stressed the need to invest in digital assets now in order to score outsized returns over the long term:

"It's not enough to WANT to get into crypto [...] Now is the time you NEED to get into crypto, before the biggest economic crash in history."

The U.S. dollar has been gradually gaining strength over other major global currencies over the last year, with the GBP/USD, EUR/USD, and JPY/USD falling 18.24%, 15.54%, and 23.33% respectively, according to Trading Economics.

At the same time, the Fed’s interest rate hike, along with a strengthening USD has coincided with a 55% drop in the crypto market cap over the last 12 months.

Last month, hedge fund co-founder CK Zheng said he expected October to be a “very volatile” month for BTC.

“October is a pretty volatile period of time, especially when combined with high inflation, with a lot of debate in terms of the Fed and policy change. The concern is that if the Fed tightens too much, the U.S. economy may actually go into a severe recession.”

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