Apple Takes Down VPN Apps From China App Store; Developers Express Dismay
Several developers of virtual private network programs confirmed they were recently notified by Apple that their apps will be removed from the Chinese App Store following the government's policy on strict Internet use.
On Saturday, ExpressVPN developers shared Apple's official email about the matter. The letter told the developers that their "application will be removed from the China App Store because it includes content that is illegal in China."
With that, Apple argued that it was in violation of their App Store Review Guidelines. Under the "Legal" section, developers were told to make sure their programs followed local policies.
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ExpressVPN developers then confirmed that their application had already been removed, along with "all major VPN apps for iOS," from the China App Store.
Another developer, Star VPN, also confirmed through Twitter that they received the same notification and commented on Apple's move: "This is very dangerous precedent which can lead to same moves in countries like UAE etc. where government control access to internet."
Meanwhile, VyprVPN developer Golden Frog also expressed disappointment over Apple's decision. Golden Frog president Sunday Yokubaitis even recalled Apple CEO Tim Cook's May 2017 interview with YouTube star Rikki Poynter where Cook said: "We've always viewed accessibility as a human right, and just like human rights are for everyone, we want our products to be accessible to everyone."
Yokubaitis added: "If Apple views accessibility as a human right, we would hope Apple will likewise recognize Internet access as a human right (the UN has even ruled it as such) and would choose human rights over profits."
Meanwhile, just a couple of weeks ago, several users also reported that they were unable to use the famous mobile messaging program Whatsapp in China even through a VPN.
The Chinese government is infamously known for their very stringent national policies in internet use. The country is under the government's Great Firewall, a national cyber policy that ultimately allows the government to ban several well-known online platforms and social media sites.
People within the Chinese territories then find some solutions through the VPN apps. However, it seems that those days are already over as well.
