Apple removes ALL foreign VPN apps from China app store!

Over the weekend, Apple pulled a number of VPNs from its mainland China App Store, strengthening fears of a looming VPN crackdown in China, while also opening the Silicon Valley company up to criticism for bowing to pressure from Chinese censors.

ExpressVPN, one of the most popular services that foreigners in China use to get over the country's Great Firewall, said on Saturday that it had received a notice from Apple that its software had been removed from the Chinese app store because it "includes content that is illegal in China, which is not in compliance with the App Store review guidelines."

The British Virgin Island-based VPN service, which describes itself as a "digital rights advocate," has spoken out against Apple's decision to ban its app, casting the move as a threat to free speech and civil liberties. Other VPN providers that have had their services pulled from the App Store include VyprVPN and StarVPN. 

Meanwhile, Apple confirmed on Sunday that it had removed the apps from its store because they did not comply with local laws, which state that VPN services in China must be based inside the country and sanctioned by the government.

Back in January, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced a crackdown against unauthorized VPNs used to conduct business across borders. Then, earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that China was planning to ban all personal VPNs by next February.

The MIIT has since denied this Bloomberg report, emphasizing that the target of their crackdown is businesses, not individuals, but that has done little to quell the fears of foreigners living in China.

TRENDING