Apple Just Removed Major VPNs
Source: money.cnn.com, nytimes.com
The operators of two virtual private networks, or VPNs, said Saturday that they had been notified by Apple that their products were being removed from its app store in China.
"We are writing to notify you that your application will be removed from the China App Store because it includes content that is illegal in China," Apple said in a notice to ExpressVPN. "We know this stuff is complicated, but it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your app conforms with all local laws."
Apple (AAPL, Tech30) confirmed the authenticity of the notice.
A second service, called Star VPN, said in a tweet that it had received a similar notice.
Beijing said in January it would begin to restrict VPNs, and this month reportedly told the country's three big telecom companies to block individuals' access to them by early next year.
China's internet regulator defended the crackdown earlier this week, saying recent measures were part of an ongoing campaign aimed at "cleaning and standardizing" access to the internet.
"Our restrictions target service providers without licenses or operating illegally," Zhang Feng, a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"Law-abiding individuals and businesses won't be affected," he added.
ExpressVPN said that it was "disappointed" and "troubled."
"Our preliminary research indicates that all major VPN apps for iOS have been removed," the popular service said. It added that Chinese users could still access its app on other platforms including Android and Windows.
China is Apple's largest market outside the United States, and the company has revoked access to the App Store at the behest of Chinese authorities before. Multiple apps belonging to the New York Times were removed from the store last December.
The U.S. views China's censorship as a barrier to trade, arguing in an annual report that China's "extensive blocking of legitimate websites" imposes significant costs on suppliers and users of services and products.
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