In a blog post, the developers of ExpressVPN reported that Apple informed them that their VPN app had been pulled from the company's
Chinese App Store, and it seems all major VPN clients have received the
same notice from Apple.
China has strict Internet censorship laws through the Great Firewall of China – the country's Golden Shield project that employs a variety
of tricks to censor Internet and block access to major foreign websites
in the country.
The Great Firewall is already blocking some 171 out of the world's 1,000 top websites, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox,
Tumblr, and The Pirate Bay in the country.Therefore, to thwart these
restrictions and access these websites, hundreds of millions of Chinese
citizens use virtual private networks (VPNs) that encrypt their online
traffic and route it through a distant connection.
However, earlier this year, China announced a crackdown on VPNs and proxy services in the country and made it mandatory for all VPN service
providers and leased cable lines operators to have a license from the
government to use such services.
This 14-month-long crackdown on the use of unsupervised internet connections, including VPNs was launched by the country's Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology, who called it a "clean-up" of
China's Internet connections.
Now, ExpressVPN received a notice from Apple that its app would be removed from the China-based App Store "because it includes content that
is illegal in China."
"We're disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of
VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding China's censorship
efforts," ExpressVPN said in a statement.Not just ExpressVPN alone, but
another VPN service provider, Star VPN, also received same notice from
Apple, the company confirmed via its official Twitter account on
Saturday.
"We are writing to notify you that your application will be removed from the China App Store because it includes content that is illegal in
China," Apple said in the notice. "We know this stuff is complicated,
but it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your app
conforms with all local laws."
Although Apple did not comment on this issue, it is no coincidence, as the company has severely been implementing various aspects of Chinese
law in recent months for its regional operations in the most populated
country.
Earlier this year, Apple removed the New York Times (NYT) app from its Chinese App Store because the app was in "violation of local
regulations."When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we
suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN.Qwer432
http://www.fastritavpn.com/
http://www.fastvpnproxy.com/
http://www.vpnsnetflix.com/
