Apple Removes 25 VPN Apps from Its App Store in Russia

• Following an order by Russia's state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, Apple has removed 25 VPN apps from its App Store in Russia.
• Millions of Russians use VPNs to bypass the heavy censorship on the internet in the country. The authorities were displeased with this and have decided to eradicate VPN services completely from the company.
• However, it's not as easy as it sounds. VPN companies are unhappy with this order and some like Le VPN have decided to push back with secret VPN servers.

On July 4, Apple removed 25 virtual private network (VPN) apps from its App Store in Russia following a request by Russia's state communications and internet watchdog Roskomnadzor.

The removed VPNs include big-name providers such as NordVPN and Proton VPN as well as others such as Red Shield VPN and Le VPN.Reason behind This Move

Just like China, Putin's Russia, too, likes to exercise online censorship and control the kind of content its citizens can access. This is also why a lot of popular websites such as Wikipedia, Reddit, and Facebook are blocked in the country.

Following its invasion of Ukraine, international news outlets such as BBC were also blocked in Russia and the rest of the internet became heavily restricted. Without access to independent news channels and global social media platforms, Russia ensures that dissidents in the country are kept to a minimum.

To bypass such restrictions and access the internet in its entirety, millions of people in Russia resorted to using VPNs.

How VPNs Help with Bypassing Geo-RestrictionsVPNs spoof your real IP address and encrypt your internet traffic, thereby anonymizing you online and safeguarding you from the prying eyes of hackers, ISPs, and government authorities, who then cannot see what you're doing online.

For example, a person in Russia who'd generally be unable to access content and sites banned in the country would be able to bypass these restrictions by using a VPN to change their device's location.

So, by connecting to a VPN server in, say, the United Kingdom, they could stream BBC News and access Russia-banned platforms such as Facebook to communicate with the rest of the world.

Needless to say, Russian citizens' VPN usage didn't sit right with the Russian government, which is why they've been taking steps to ensure they cannot circumvent the restrictions that have been put in place by the authorities.

150 VPN services have already been banned in Russia so far, and the government plans to completely eradicate VPN services from the country.

Apple has no choice but to comply with Russia's request of removing VPN apps. If it doesn't, it might be next on Russia's list of blacklisted companies. In a letter sent by Apple to the removed VPNs, it says that they're in violation of Russian law, which is why they have been removed.

Interestingly, though, the letter was sent after the VPNs were removed from the App Store. Plus, Apple didn't specify which Russian regulations the VPNs violated.

Reaction to Russia's VPN Ban: What Do VPN Companies Have to Say

The VPN companies are unhappy with Russia's latest announcement. For instance, Red Shield VPN said that by complying with Roskomnadzor in order to keep its business in Russia, Apple is directly supporting an authoritarian regime. This is not just a reckless move but also a crime against civil society.

Le VPN shared similar sentiments. This event marks a significant step in Roskomnadzor's ongoing efforts to control internet access and content within Russian territory," it said in a statement.

However, unlike others, Le VPN is not going down without a fight. It released an alternative version of its service called Le VPN Give' that will allow Russian citizens to use its secret servers through third-party open-source software and obfuscated VPN connections.

Interestingly, Le VPN is not alone. Sources say that a few freelance programmers and VPN companies have also decided to push back by building tools that are equipped to avoid censorship.

At the time of writing, we don't have a lot of details about this initiative but it's not too surprising that people are revolting. After all, no-quibble access to the internet is a fundamental right in today's world and such blatant abuse of authority was bound to be met with revolution. Stay tuned for more information.

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