WikiLeaks app pulled from Apple Store, still up on Android

By Hayley Tsukayama

Apple banned the $1.99 Wikileaks app from its app store Tuesday, only 10 days after approving it on Dec. 11.

The app, which provided real-time updates from the official WikiLeaks Twitter account and access to Leaked documents, was available for download as of Dec. 17. According to Information Week, Developer Igor Barinov said the app raised more than $,1000 by Dec. 19.

TechCrunch said It is unclear whether Apple believes that the app violated its Terms of Service, or whether the computer giant was joining Bank of America, MasterCard, Amazon and others in denying Wikileaks a platform.

The move may put Apple at risk for a distributed-denial-of-service attack, of DDoS, from Assange supporters. A DDoS attack floods a target site with external requests, making it nearly impossible for the site to function normally. Hackers sympathetic to Assange have claimed credit for similar attacks on Amazon and PayPal.

iPhone users are unable to get to the app directly (if you're interested in a workaround, the Guardian has a link to one that "borders on the edge of legality), but interested Android users can still download WikiLeaks apps from the Android store.