New Delhi: Apple has removed several VPN apps from its Russian App Store at the request of the country’s communications watchdog, according to the VPN developers. Last week, Russian news agency Interfax reported that Apple removed 25 VPN apps after Roskomnadzor, the government body that controls the internet, demanded it. In Russia, where the internet is heavily censored, people often use VPNs to bypass restrictions and access blocked content.
On Monday, two VPN services, Le VPN and Red Shield VPN, told that they received a letter from Apple about the decision to remove their apps. The letter to Red Shield VPN said, “We are writing to notify you that your application, per demand from Roskomnadzor, will be removed from the Russia App Store because it includes content that is illegal in Russia, which is not in compliance with the App Review Guidelines,” according to a screenshot from the company’s CEO and founder, Vladislav Zdolnikov.
Another source, who knows some developers of the banned apps, gave the same letter. The letter said that the VPN apps were breaking Russian law. It stated, “Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where you make them available (if you’re not sure, check with a lawyer). We know this stuff is complicated, but it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your app follows all local laws, not just the guidelines below.”
While the letter did not give a specific reason for the removals, it said that Roskomnadzor’s request was based on a certain article of Russia’s federal law. This is part of a recent crackdown on VPNs since the government banned VPN advertising before the March elections.
Zdolnikov explained in an email that Red Shield VPN and other removed apps, like HideMyName and Le VPN, are run by people who understand Russia’s internet censorship very well. “We know how to get around these restrictions and are constantly improving our services. Despite years of efforts to block our services, they remain accessible to users,” Zdolnikov wrote. “It turns out that Apple did this work for the Russian authorities and did it better.”
Konstantin Votinov, the founder of Le VPN, told that Apple notified them of the removal on July 4, saying that Roskomnadzor flagged the app’s description on the App Store as “infringing content.” Votinov said, “We received a notice from [Roskomnadzor] via Apple after our app had already been removed, giving us no opportunity to address the concerns. This appears to be part of a broader crackdown affecting at least 25 VPN providers in Russia.”
In 2022, Apple stopped selling hardware in Russia and halted some services to protest its invasion of Ukraine, but its app store remains open.
