Apple pulls VPN apps from Chinese App Store in compliance with government crackdown
Apple has removed virtual private network (VPN) apps from the Chinese App Store, apparently complying with a broader government crackdown on VPN technology.
Developer ExpressVPN received a notification about its app's removal early on Saturday, according to a blog post. The firm said that checks showed "all major" VPN apps have been pulled, although people using App Stores based outside China should be unaffected, even if they're residing in the country.
The Chinese government recently began shutting down unauthorized VPNs, which were one of the few ways people could circumvent the country's "Great Firewall" censorship technology. Indeed a group of new cybersecurity laws have come into effect, for instance requiring foreign companies with Chinese user data to store it on local servers.
Earlier this month Apple launched its first Chinese data center in cooperation with Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry, precisely for the sake of complying.
ExpressVPN's notification.
Sudden removals -- or crippled services -- can be an occasional cost of doing business in China. Facebook's WhatsApp was recently hobbled by the Great Firewall for instance, and in January Apple was forced to pull the New York Times app.
Developer ExpressVPN received a notification about its app's removal early on Saturday, according to a blog post. The firm said that checks showed "all major" VPN apps have been pulled, although people using App Stores based outside China should be unaffected, even if they're residing in the country.
The Chinese government recently began shutting down unauthorized VPNs, which were one of the few ways people could circumvent the country's "Great Firewall" censorship technology. Indeed a group of new cybersecurity laws have come into effect, for instance requiring foreign companies with Chinese user data to store it on local servers.
Earlier this month Apple launched its first Chinese data center in cooperation with Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry, precisely for the sake of complying.
ExpressVPN's notification.
Sudden removals -- or crippled services -- can be an occasional cost of doing business in China. Facebook's WhatsApp was recently hobbled by the Great Firewall for instance, and in January Apple was forced to pull the New York Times app.
Comments
It isn’t up to Apple to tell a sovereign people how to run their country. If the people of China don’t like being censored, then it’s up to them to end it. Frankly, Apple has given the people of China far more of a chance for real freedom than I ever dreamed possible. The same can be said for the world in general.
These sad sack opinionizers really don’t have a clue….
I honestly can't believe that critics feel Apple should simply pull out of China and stop ALL business with China because of this 'no VPN apps' policy. I don't see how that helps anyone. Apple would then have to abandon all current iOS hardware users and lose all the money they invested in China. That's just plain stupid. It's true Apple has to kiss Chinese butt, but it's better than losing tens of billions of dollars and loyal customers.
Apple needs China far more than China needs Apple. Apple can't depend on Americans anymore who would just as soon buy some cheap smartphone from China and S. Korea rather than support a domestic brand. I'm sure there must be some other way to get a VPN app on an iPhone without going through the Apple App Store. Surely it must be possible to sideload apps on an iPhone even if it requires some jailbreak.
The PR-op in this case, wouldn't outweigh the sales loss... and from the looks of some of the comments here, freedom has already been lost. It's just a matter of time before the West heads more towards China.
But in return Apple gives them the "Find My Kommissar" app.
I bet you China gets the back door into iPhone security before US because they play tough.
For all you making jingoistic and chauvinistic statements, it's too bad you're not not smart enough to understand that Apple operating in these other countries is Apple working to offend your weak and insecure ideals, but working to connect these people and make them a part of Western culture. and it's working. The Chinese have great benefits from Apple's efforts to both manufacture, and market and sell their products to the Chinese. If you didn't live in a bubble surrounded by Norman Rockwell imagery that never existed in reality you'd understand how Apple's success in China is success for the Chinese people in the long run.
That's just silly! As long as iOS supports VPN Chinese people will continue using them. Removing apps will only hurt developers who made simple apps that installed VPN profiles and made things easy for non-techie.
However, Apple then shouldn't make a big deal describing itself as a company that wants to change the world (something it likes to do when operating in places such as the US where this talk of talk doesn't get you kicked out of the country).
It's pretty difficult to think of a large company that refused to operate in a country due to moral objections. The only example that comes to my mind is Google leaving China in 2010 which came at a huge cost (it's reasonably to assume that China would be as important to Google today as China is to Apple).
With a locked system like the iPhone it is absolutely possible to gradually switch off all kinds of "undesired" communication.