Apple quietly removed VPN apps from the Russian App Store in July, civil rights activists are now responding with a open letter to Tim Cook.
Apple criticized for removing apps from Russian App Store
More than 40 Russian and international civil rights organizations are calling on Apple to allow VPN apps back into the Russian App Store. The company must not turn its back on Russian civil society, according to an open letter from Access Now to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Apple’s pandering to the Russian government violates its own company policies and international human rights standards.
In early July, Apple blocked 25 VPN apps in the Russian App Store without really publicizing it. The removal of the apps also escaped our notice. These Virtual Private Networks (VPN) apps encrypt data traffic. In addition to better data protection, they make it possible to circumvent censorship measures on the Internet.
The removal order was issued in Russia by the Russian Internet regulator and censorship authority Roskomnadzor. There is a suspected connection between Russia’s war in Ukraine and the removal order.
No open internet without VPNs
Apple previously stopped selling devices in the Russian Federation in response to the Russian attack. The Russian Federation subsequently imposed sanctions on Apple, restricting the payment service Apple Pay, among other things. The Apple Maps service has also been restricted since then. The App Store can still be used.
Civil rights activists see the removal of VPN apps as an undermining of freedom of speech, which Apple is helping Russia with. Without VPNs, there is no open internet in the country. “VPNs are the lifeblood of everyone who raises their voice for human rights in Russia,” the letter reads. Signatories include the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Reporters Without Borders.
Restrictions in China too
Apple has previously faced situations in which governments demanded that the iPhone manufacturer comply with the censorship rules of the respective countries. For example, in late 2017, Apple removed VPN apps from the App Store in China. Apple was sharply criticized for this by American politicians and others. In 2020, Apple stated that it was committed to freedom of speech – but with the restriction that local laws must also be followed.
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