PETITION UPDATE (8/6/2019): Apple News has just informed LifeSite that, after a re-evaluation of our content, our channel will be re-enabled with immediate effect.

This is VICTORY for free speech, and, in particular, for conservative and Christian viewpoints.

We applaud Apple for this sensible decision.

LifeSite wish to thank you, our supporters, for having signed and shared this petition, and for praying for success on this issue. May God bless you!

____________________________________________________________________

Apple News has just banned LifeSite, the world's largest and most-popular pro-life and pro-family news website, from its Apple News platform.

Without any prior warning, Apple News informed us in an e-mail today: "Your channel has been disabled, and your content has been removed from Apple News."

This unfounded decision seems to be designed to silence LifeSiteNews. But, we will not be silenced, and we are not taking this lightly.

We are URGENTLY calling on our readers and supporters - and on all freedom-loving people - to SIGN THIS PETITION, demanding that Apple reinstate LifeSite's Apple News channel immediately.

Apple claimed that LifeSite's channel, "shows intolerance towards a specific group," but Apple did not state which "specific group" the site allegedly showed intolerance towards, and provided no specific examples of offending content.

“It goes without saying that LifeSite would never promote intolerance or hatred against any group," said LifeSite's Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen.

"Unfortunately, however, in our divisive political climate, even mild expressions of common Christian and conservative viewpoints are now often dismissed as de facto 'hatred' and 'intolerance'. We certainly hope that this is not what Apple is doing. But at a time when there is growing evidence of left-wing censorship by the tech juggernauts, this decision is frightening.

"We are awaiting Apple's response providing further details on their decision," added Westen. "But at face value, this decision looks like just another case of a tech company using their power to quietly censor conservative opinions, simply because they don't agree with them."

Unfortunately, Apple's e-mail provided LifeSite with no opportunity to appeal their decision.

Apple News is an app that is available on all Apple devices. It aggregates news content from thousands of publishers. Apple users can “follow” their favorite news sites and receive customized updates.

Apple News first approved LifeSite's channel earlier this month, after a six month delay. Since then, thousands of people have read LifeSite's news content on the platform.

LifeSite is by far the largest pro-life and pro-family news site on the Internet. Over 22 million people have visited the site so far this year, viewing over 57 million pages. The site employs a team of over a dozen professional journalists and editors.

"We urge our readers, and any concerned citizen, to tell Apple that this kind of censorship is unacceptable," said Westen. "If anybody is 'showing intolerance' here, it is Apple that is showing intolerance towards the millions of people who rely on LifeSite for our news reporting, and who support our pro-life and pro-family values."

Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, demanding that Apple stop censoring the news, and reinstate LifeSite's Apple News channel immediately. Thank you!

241

PETITION UPDATE: Apple News reinstates LifeSite's news channel

CA