The Chinese authorities compelled Apple to eliminate VPN applications from its App Store as far back as 2017, and now, the company faces similar actions in India.
To date, a limited number of VPN applications have been taken down to adhere to an anti-privacy statute that prohibits anonymous usage, but it is expected that many more will be removed soon…
Numerous VPN Applications Eliminated in China
The use of VPN applications has long been prohibited by the Chinese government, despite many citizens relying on these tools to bypass governmental monitoring of their online behavior.
In 2017, Apple had to remove hundreds of VPN applications from the Chinese App Store. Tim Cook, the CEO, mentioned that the company was forced to comply with the law, albeit reluctantly.
We would obviously prefer not to remove the applications, but as we do in other nations, we abide by the laws wherever we operate. We firmly believe in participating in markets and providing advantages to customers. We hope that over time, the restrictions we are experiencing will be eased.
Initial VPN Applications Taken Down in India
A new law passed in India in 2022 effectively banned the anonymous usage of VPNs, additionally criminalizing services like NordVPN that do not retain customer activity logs.
There was a delay in enforcement following widespread objections, but it was eventually enacted and is currently being applied. According to a report by TechCrunch, Apple has commenced the removal of VPN applications from the Indian App Store.
The regulations require VPN providers and cloud service operators to keep thorough records of their clients, including names, addresses, IP addresses, and transaction histories, for five years.
More than half-a-dozen VPN applications, such as Cloudflare’s popular 1.1.1.1, have been removed from India’s Apple App Store and Google Play Store due to intervention from governmental bodies, as reported by TechCrunch.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has issued directives for the removal of these applications, as stated in a document reviewed by TechCrunch and disclosed by Google to Lumen, Harvard University’s database that monitors global government takedown requests.
The government appears to be identifying non-compliant applications on a case-by-case basis, suggesting that this process may unfold over a lengthy period, but the outcome is likely to mirror that of China, resulting in the removal of hundreds of applications.
DMN’s Perspective
This situation is clearly at odds with Apple’s stated privacy principles, yet the company finds itself in a challenging predicament. It must adhere to local laws in every nation where it operates, even when faced with regressive legislation imposed by authoritarian governments.
Although theoretically, Apple could choose to take a moral stand and withdraw from these markets, China serves as its main manufacturing base, while India has become its second-largest production location, making such a move impractical.
Photo by Chris Yang on Unsplash
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