According to VPN makers, Apple has removed several VPN apps from the Russian App Store at the request of the Russian government's communications regulator.
Last week, Russian news agency Interfax reported that Apple had removed 25 VPN apps from its Russian App Store after the Russian government agency Roskomnadzor (which controls everything Russians can access) demanded the removal.
Because the Internet in Russia is heavily controlled and censored, Russian online users often use VPNs to bypass restrictions and access blocked content.
On Monday, two VPN services, Le VPN and Red Shield VPN, told TechCrunch that they had received letters from Apple informing them of its decision to remove their apps from the App Store.
“We inform you that, at the request of Roskomnadzor, your application will be removed from the Russian App Store because it contains content that is illegal in Russia and does not comply with our app review guidelines,” reads a letter Apple sent to Red Shield VPN, according to a screenshot provided to TechCrunch by the company’s founder and CEO, Vladislav Zdolnikov.
Another source who claims to know some of the developers of the banned apps sent a similar letter to TechCrunch.
The letter basically claims that the VPN app in question violates Russian law.
“Your app must comply with all legal requirements in every jurisdiction in which you serve it (if you’re unsure, consult a lawyer),” the letter reads. “We know this can be complicated, but it’s your responsibility to understand and ensure that your app complies with all local laws, in addition to the guidelines below.”
The letter did not provide specific reasons for the app's removal, but it did state that Roskomnadzor's removal request was approved under certain provisions of the Russian Federation's law.
This is the latest crackdown on VPNs since the government introduced a ban on VPN advertising ahead of national elections in March.
Zdolnikov said in an email that other removed apps, such as Red Shield VPN and HideMyName and Le VPN, were “developed and maintained by people with a deep understanding of Russian internet censorship mechanisms.”
“We know how to bypass these restrictions, and we are constantly improving our service. We have been trying to block the service for years, but it is still available to users,” Zdolnikov wrote. “It turns out that Apple did this better for the Russian authorities.”
Konstantin Votinov, founder of Le VPN, told TechCrunch that the company received a notification from Apple on July 4 informing it of the removal. In Le VPN’s case, Roskomnadzor flagged the app’s description in the App Store as “infringing content,” according to Votinov.
“We were notified by (Roskomnadzor) via Apple after the app had already been removed, and we were not given a chance to address our concerns. This appears to be part of a broader crackdown affecting at least 25 VPN providers in Russia,” Votinov said.
Apple halted hardware exports to Russia and shut down some services in 2022 to protest the invasion of Ukraine, but its App Store remains open. Apple did not respond to a request for comment from TechCrunch. The Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
