Russia forces ban of 25 VPN apps from Apple App Store

Russia is forcing Apple to remove 25 virtual private network (VPN) apps from the Apple Mac Store (within Russia) at the request of the Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling, and censoring Russian mass media.

The Roskomnadzor confirmed to news agency Interfax that VPN apps have been banned because they are “used to gain access to content tagged as illegal in Russia.” The Record and BleepingComputer also reported the ban.

Almost a year ago, the Roskomnadzor enforced a ban on OpenVPN and WireGuard. Now, the list includes dozens more:

• NordVPN
• Proton VPN
• Red Shield VPN
• Planet VPN
• Hidemy.Name VPN
• Le VPN
• PIA VPN

The ban has been confirmed by VPN platforms such as Red Shield:

Red Shield VPN calls for Apple to be held accountable

In a public statement, Red Shield confirmed on July 4, 2024, that they received a notification from Apple that their app had been removed from the Russian Apple App Store. They also criticized Apple for cooperating with the Russian government, making it easier to ban access to Red Shield and unrestricted internet.

“Apple’s actions, motivated by a desire to retain revenue from the Russian market, actively support an authoritarian regime. This is not just reckless but a crime against civil society. The fact that a corporation with a capitalization larger than Russia’s GDP helps support authoritarianism says a lot about the moral principles of that corporation,” the statement reads.

Red Shield continues, “Russian authorities have blocked thousands of Red Shield VPN nodes but have been unable to prevent Russian users from accessing them. Apple, however, has done this job much more effectively for them.”

Red Shield states they will “continue to fight for free access to information, including for Russian society.”

Banning VPN apps is just one way the Russian government attempts to control information entering and leaving Russian digital borders. In March 2023, the Roskomnadzor banned foreign messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord.