It takes on average around ten days to get a new iPhone app approved for the App Store. However, a free app that allows users to express support for the Je Suis Charlie campaign was approved in one hour, following a direct appeal to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
They emailed Tim Cook to request an expedited review, an assistant replied ten minutes later promising a review within the hour, and the app is now online.
Literally translated as “I am Charlie,” the phrase voices support for freedom of speech and a refusal to be silenced by terrorists …
The Je Suis Charlie! (I Charlie!) app simply allows users to add their location to a map, indicating their support for the campaign. The app is aimed primarily at users in France, however, the developers of the app have expressed the hope that users in other countries will also join in.
Following the attack on the Charlie Hebo magazine offices, Apple added a Je Suis Charlie footer to its French website in support of the newspaper, while Google donated $300,000 to help the publication achieve its goal of a 1 million print run for its next issue.
The I Charlie! iPhone app can be downloaded free in the App Store. [DIRECT LINK]
