The Senate on passing the Roadblock applications is the first release of change

I want to talk about Apple rights to roadblock warning applications, but first, let's do something simple: If you get behind the wheel car while impaired in any fashion, it is my sincere desire to be caught and penalized grane, hopefully also before hurt or kill yourself or innocent third parties. Simply put: If the disk is damaged, you're an idiot. If someone you know and love was the victim of a drunk driver, you have My sympathies strongly; I wish they were better mechanisms to prevent the person lost even getting behind the wheel of the vehicle.

For me, as creative professionals (I'm a writer and photographer) the first amendment to the Constitution is not selective. Simply notes that the Government Can't tell you what you can or cannot say. I cannot agree with what you have to say i may very well find it offensive, but I will defend the right to say.

I am not saying Apple should not give rise to applications; I'm simply not comfortable with the lawmakers request. According to the United States Constitution "[c] ongress makes law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise; or abridging the freedom of speech or the press; or the right of people peaceably Assembly and ask the Government to redress grievances. "

After the controversial app to Apple, like roadblock reporting app, Apple is within their rights to refuse to publish it. Because the first amendment applies only to the "Government" is not a company, as moved from censuring, Apple can refuse to publish anything. Similarly, GigaOM and other corporation and freelance, you can refuse to run any for any reason.

Congress — or in this case, several senators — existing Apple pull app to my not Constitional lawyer in eyes, on the first amendment. Their actions infringe on Apple the right of Free Speech as an American publisher. The line is blurry, here. Four Democratic Senators do not make Congress, nor has any law or formal activities transferred to the Senate or House. Senators working to resolve this problem by asking nicely.

Frankly, I'm a little surprised Apple even published applications. I don't think they should be in the first place. If I'm going to pull applications, not at all to mourn their loss. However, I believe that the decision to publish should be the decision by Apple to; not that Congress or a group of senators.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req):

window. fbAsyncInit = function () {FB. init ({appId: 180650338636285, status: set to true, the cookie: TRUE, xfbml: true});FB.API ({method: ' links ' urls getStats.: ' http://gigaom.com/apple/senate-going-after-roadblock-apps-is-a-first-amendment-issue/'}, function (response) {jQuery (' # roots-fb-count-button ') .html (response [0]. commentsbox_count);}); /* Switch//only over on FB, if you are logged on to FBFB. getLoginStatus (function (response) {If (response.write session || response.status = "notConnected") {jQuery (' # roots-tabs '); tabs (' select ', 1);}});*/}; (function ($) {$ (window). load (function () {var e = document.getElementById createElement ("script"); e type = ' text/javascript '; e. src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js '; e. async = true; document.getElementById ('fb-root ') appendChild (e);});}(jQuery));

var _comscore = _comscore || []; _comscore. push ({c1: "2", c2: "6036014"}); (function () {var s = document.getElementById createElement ("script"), el = document.getElementById getElementsByTagName ("script") [0]; s. async = true; s. src = (document.location.protocol == ' https: '? 'https://SB ":" ") + http://b." scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js "; El.parentNode.insertBefore (s, el); })();

jQuery (function ($) {$ (' # brand-explorer a, # navigation a. widget-wrap and '). click (function () {//tell analyses save eventtry {_gaq. push ([' _trackEvent ', id this. parents (' [id! = ""]: first ') get (0), "clicked", (this text () || this .children ('img: first '). attr ('alt '))]);}catch (error) {}//Pause to allow google to date script runvar = new date (); var CURDATE = null; do {CURDATE = new date();} while (CURDATE Date