Apple Kills WikiLeaks App for iPhone and iPad

What's going on here? Has the iPhone maker just joined Uncle Sam's crusade against whistleblowing site WikiLeaks? Why has Apple kicked out an unofficial WikiLeaks reader software for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store?

By all accounts, Apple removed the WikiLeaks app from its software bazaar just days after it was approved, its developer Igor Barinov has confirmed. The program cost two bucks and its sole purpose was to give folks an easy way to comb through WikiLeaks database of scandals and keep tabs on what's going on at the WikiLeaks account on Twitter.

Apple didn't provide any explanation for the removal and conspiracy theorists are no doubt having a field day with this one, but the company may be right this time because the program profited its creator by basically selling access to free WikiLeaks content on the web, which could be in violation of Apple's developer agreement and App Store policies.

But then again, how come Apple isn't throwing out dozens of paid Wikipedia clients from the App Store? After all, those apps too monetize on free content, in this case the non-profit collaborative work by Wikipedia editors.