Apple iTunes Censured in China because of "Songs for Tibet" album

It's what communists do.
Free Tibet!! Free Taiwan!! Free Georgia!!

Apple said Friday they were investigating why access to iTunes appeared to be blocked for users in China after a pro-Tibet album became a hit on the online music store.
The iTunes download site has been unavailable for many users within China in the past week, but Apple's Beijing-based spokeswoman Huang Yuna said she did not know why music fans were unable to log on.

"We've noticed the problem. It's true that users may fail to log in to iTunes store right now," she told AFP.

"We are still investigating," she said, but would not confirm if the company was in contact with Chinese authorities.

The restrictions come after "Songs for Tibet", a pro-Tibet album featuring songs by artists such as Sting, was released on iTunes just before the Olympic Games started on August 8.

The album has been a popular download across the world, and has featured on the front pages of Apple's online store over the past few weeks.

The review page of the album also became the site for a vicious exchange between pro-Tibet netizens and Chinese nationalists.

More than 400 posts were recorded on the page before it was taken down, with one post saying: "The Tibetan culture has been massacred by the oppressive Chinese government."

Huang declined to comment when asked if the comment board debate had sparked the restrictions.

The album, which also features songs from Dave Matthews, Moby and Alanis Morissette, was aimed at highlighting what activists see as the widespread repression of Tibet people in the Himalayan region.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops in to "liberate" it.

Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Beijing Olympic organisers said he did not know about the iTunes blockage. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman also declined to comment.

China's communist rulers regularly block access to Internet sites they deem sensitive.