November 25, 2011
Lawsuits dropped after Apple drops ‘Jew or Not Jew’ app
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Photo by Renato Mitra
French anti-racism groups dropped lawsuits against Apple, Inc. after it removed an iPhone app called “Jew or Not Jew?” from online stores around the world.
The made-in-France app had been removed from Apple’s on-line store in France in September following an outcry in that country. At the time, French Jewish and human rights groups argued that the application, which came out in early August and allows users to guess whether public personalities are Jewish or not, violates French law forbidding the collection of personal data such as a person’s religion or ethnicity without permission from the individual.
The app was removed from all European on-line Apple stores last month, but it was still available through the United States store.
Groups including the French Jewish Students Union, SOS Racisme and the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Between People filed suit against Apple in Paris demanding it withdraw the app worldwide.
The app was created by Frenchman Johann Levy, who said his intentions were to show “pride” in being Jewish.
“I did it out of healthy intentions. I am Jewish myself,” Levy said in September on French radio Europe 1. “The goal was just to bring a feeling of pride to Jews when they see that such-and-such a businessman or celebrity is also Jewish.”
