Is technological lock-in, or "hostility" toward a user as you put it, an ethical issue?
I would think the use of Chinese labor abuses to make iPhones is the ethical issue. Funny you didn't mention that.
I would think the use of Chinese labor abuses to make iPhones is the ethical issue. Funny you didn't mention that.
If you think that somehow the people working on apple hardware construction are treated worse than the people working on the vastly higher number of android devices, etc you need to provide some evidence.
I recall a case where apple audits found a supplier using child labour, included that in their report, included the remediation (including cases where they outright dropped suppliers). The headlines weren’t “apple found child labour and stopped it”. The headlines were “apple uses child labour”.
The reason you don’t get that for other manufacturers is that they a) don’t audit, and b) don’t publish details even if they somehow become aware.
You are making the "all or nothing" fallacy.
You absolutely can make the ethical choice when you have the choice. In some cases, you are simply forced to make the lesser evil choice.
Transparency is the first step. Yes, in some cases it is unavoidable, but to translate that into overall inaction, IMHO, is lazy.
> they wouldn't be able to purchase anything made by an international company
I suggest you don't make sweeping generalizations, then.
> The overall being one's choices for a new smartphone are iPhone, Android, or abstain.
That's why I took care to point out "In some cases, you are simply forced to make the lesser evil choice."
> When the parent comment elected Android for "ethical" reasons those reasons would not include the labor conditions of the phone's manufacture since that doesn't vary between most Apple and Android phones.
You're not allowing for someone to still consider the ethics of an issue: it's not like subtraction, if A has it and B has it than neither have it, so why consider it. IMO that's reductive. It can still be considered.
These two clothing companies provide 100% transparency on their sourcing and labor practices.
You absolutely can choose to wear clothing that doesn't enslave people. Maybe not 100% (shoes are still difficult to source), but it doesn't mean throwing your hands up and walking away. Or being cynical toward someone who is trying.