Interfax: Apple removed the mobile apps of 25 VPN services from its App Store in Russia, following a request by state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor
U.S. tech giant Apple (AAPL.O) removed the mobile apps of 25 VPN services from its App Store, following a request …
Reuters
Context & Ripple Effects
This is a new Russia-specific instance of Apple’s app-distribution decisions intersecting with national internet controls. It follows the company’s earlier removal of major VPN apps from China’s App Store, where the affected services also enabled users to bypass censorship.
The related coverage also shows that App Store removals can recur under different compliance rationales, as in the later dispute over VK app removals. The immediate significance is that the App Store has become an enforcement point for local access restrictions.
First-order effects
Russian iPhone users lose App Store access to the 25 named VPN services, reducing straightforward options for obtaining those apps on iOS.
Apple complies with Roskomnadzor’s request in its Russia storefront, while the affected VPN providers lose a major mobile distribution channel in that market.
Second-order effects
VPN providers serving Russia face pressure to find alternative ways to reach iOS users or to prioritize markets where their apps remain listed.
The removal reinforces Roskomnadzor’s ability to pursue access restrictions through global platform operators rather than solely through network-level controls.
Third-order effects
If such requests continue, national regulators can increasingly treat app-store geography as a practical layer of internet governance, with platforms deciding how much local compliance they can absorb.
The pattern may further fragment mobile software availability by country, especially for services whose core purpose is to circumvent local restrictions.
The trend: App stores are becoming a more consequential compliance gateway through which governments can shape which privacy and access tools reach mobile users.
The State Duma's Info Policy Committee dep chair praises Apple as “one of the few U.S. companies striving to comply w/ Russian legislation & hold a dialogue w/ the regulator.” Why? AppStore just blocked access to a bunch more VPNs for users inside Russia. https://www.kommersant…
@tolmasky@mastodon.social
Francisco Tolmasky on mastodon
@Leonick @stroughtonsmith It is much harder to write a law requiring an existing open platform become closed. Russia could have theoretically mandated that Microsoft write a new version of Win95 that used a certificate system so apps could only be acquired through a new mandated…
@arroz@mastodon.social
Miguel Arroz on mastodon
The problem is not Apple complying with foreign laws. They have to, and although that is not true here, in most instances it's a good thing (I don't want American companies bullying through European or Canadian laws, for example). — The problem is Apple building platforms that…
@tolmasky@mastodon.social
Francisco Tolmasky on mastodon
Just like when Apple got rid of the HKlive app during the Hong Kong protests. Imagine if there was a way to install apps not through the AppStore. That way the AppStore couldn't be exploited as a censorship tool by governments. But then Apple might not make every possible cent…
@nexta_tv
@nexta_tv on x
AppStore removes VPN services at the request of Russian authorities Such services as Proton, Nord, Red Shield and Le VPN have disappeared from the app store. The official reason is “non-compliance” with Russian law. [image]
@appcensorship
@appcensorship on x
The truth is, Apple deliberately conflates ‘complying with the law’ with ‘complying with officials’ orders.' These are not the same. Often, officials issue orders that are illegal or abusive. In countries without rule of law, such orders aren't overturned—they're enforced. @Apple
@appcensorship
@appcensorship on x
Apple's controlled @AppStore environment lets them selectively target VPNs like Proton VPN, Red Shield VPN, NordVPN, and Le VPN in specific regions. This creates the illusion that most VPNs are widely available, when in fact, @Apple censors key services at the behest of repressi…
@timsweeneyepic
Tim Sweeney on x
@AppCensorship ... “We have to obey the laws of the places we do business in”, says Apple, while breaking the European DMA, California UCL, and other competition laws.
@mediazona_en
Mediazona English on x
In recent years, Roskomnadzor has banned more than a dozen VPN services. In the spring of 2022, the censorship agency began banning entire VPN protocols https://en.zona.media/...
@appcensorship
@appcensorship on x
Our study may suggest that authorities in Russia primarily block VPN services directly rather than removing apps from platforms. This comes from observing that many VPN apps remain available for download, including those removed by Apple (for ex: Proton VPN is still available on
@appcensorship
@appcensorship on x
Our recent study on the availability of 50 popular VPN apps worldwide, with both iOS and Android versions, reveals that in Russia, 9 VPN apps are unavailable either on the App Store or the Play Store. Often, availability is limited to one platform, with only a few VPNs
@mediazona_en
Mediazona English on x
Apple has removed four VPN service apps from the Russian AppStore—Proton VPN, Red Shield VPN, NordVPN, and Le VPN. According to a notice published by Red Shield and Le VPN, the company refers to Roskomnadzor, Russian internet watchdog [image]