Apple silently axes dozens of VPN apps in Russia

Apple is silently removing VPN apps from its App Store in Russia, outpacing official reports from Russia’s communications regulator Roskomandzor, reveals a report by online freedom advocate GreatFire.

Since March 1st, 2022, Apple has paused sales to Russia, as they “are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence.”

Despite the export ban, Russian citizens can buy the new iPhone 16 from all major retailers, circumventing Apple’s restrictions. But what users can’t do is install a VPN app from the App Store to circumvent the state-imposed censorship.

In total, 98 VPN apps were found to be unavailable on the App Store in Russia. For comparison, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, has officially reported the removal of 25 VPN apps, according to a study by GreatFire.

GreatFire is a platform that monitors the extent of China's Great Firewall and helps Chinese internet users circumvent censorship. Its experts also created a platform to monitor app availability, AppleCensorship.com.

“Close to 60 VPN apps were silently removed by Apple between early July and September 18th, 2024, bringing the total number of unavailable VPN apps to 98,” the report said. “More than 20% of the VPN apps tested were quietly removed without public acknowledgment, undermining transparency in the Russia App Store.”

This significant discrepancy signals “coordinated actions, possibly exceeding Roskomnadzor's official requests.” Without VPN providers, Russian users can’t access secure communication tools and circumvent censorship measures.

“It's a direct threat to digital freedom and privacy,” said Benjamin Ismail, Director of the App Censorship Project at GreatFire.

“By unilaterally restricting access to these essential tools without transparency or due process, Apple is complicit in enabling government censorship. We demand that Apple uphold its commitment to human rights and provide a clear explanation for these actions.”

To prevent Russians from accessing “unlawful content,” Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill outlawing the use of certain VPNs back in 2017. In 2021, Roskomandzor blocked some major VPN providers, including NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the restrictions tightened, and the country banned non-state-approved VPNs.

Some providers, such as AdGuard, previously said they still operate in Russia despite the ban. The company even led the charge against Apple for the removal of its VPN.

An official Apple letter to AdGuard notified the company that the AdGuard VPN application was removed “per demand from Roskomnadzor… because it includes content that is illegal in Russia” and is therefore non-compliant with the “App Review Guidelines.”

"The fact that nearly 100 VPN apps are now unavailable in Russia's App Store highlights a disturbing trend of corporate complicity in state-sponsored censorship. VPNs are lifelines for journalists, activists, and everyday citizens striving to access information and communicate securely,” said Evan Greer, Director of Fight for the Future, the group behind the campaign at FreetheIphone.com.

Greer fears that Apple’s actions set a dangerous precedent for how tech companies may collaborate with authoritarian regimes.

“It's imperative that Apple reverses this course and stands up for the rights of its users.”

GreatFire monitors over 360 VPN apps globally across 175 App stores.

Cybernews has reached out to Apple and will update the story with its response.