A few days ago we informed you about the company's plans in VPN applications, applications that would see their operation limited if they allowed the blocking of any type of third-party advertising in their applications, that is, they block applications that They are available for download for free but include advertising.
But it seems that not only Apple has focused on these apps. China a few days ago approved a new law to continue controlling the information that circulates on the Internet in its country, orblinding operators to suspend VPN services to which users could have access, thus bypassing the Great Firewall of the country, as it has been called. But there is more.
According to some developers, Apple has once again begun to heed the Chinese government's guidelines and has removed VPN applications from the App Store that some users use to be able to bypass the country's censorship. Among the developers affected by this measure are ExpressVPN and Star VPN, who have received an email from Apple stating that they have been forced to remove this type of application from the Chinese App Store. You also express your discomfort at seeing how Apple bows its head and submits to the censorship of the Asian country.
We just received notice that @Apple removing all the @VPN apps from the @China appstore.
- Star VPN (@star_vpn) July 29, 2017
VPNs removed from China App Store. Dismayed Apple sided w / censorship, but we're committed to keeping you connected: https://t.co/wvVk6IIsD3
- ExpressVPN (@expressvpn) July 29, 2017
As much as Apple extols freedoms and everything related, Apple is a company that has to listen to its shareholders in some respects, and this is one of them, since China has become an important revenue engine for the company, although in recent quarters China-dependence has been reduced considerably. At the moment, only these two developers have announced that their apps have been retired, but it is likely that in the coming days, the number of retired apps will increase rapidly.