a) Not comparable restrictions in the slightest.

b) Timeline doesn't match up that Apple did this in response to protests.

"Whataboutism" is when somebody or something else is brought up as a defense. It's common in HN threads about the Chinese Communist Party, but the grandparent doesn't seem like it. It reads more like, "Here's another company helping the CCP!"

It extends the shame and conversation instead of excusing it.

The definition of this term is a bit broader, from the British dictionary:

> the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue.

Article criticizes company A, and then a different issue about a different company is raised as a way to somehow minimize the original company A offense.

It’s basically saying, “if you think Huawei is bad, what about Apple?”