Apple’s capitulation to China’s VPN crack-down will return to haunt it at home
Yesterday Apple removed all major VPN apps from its App Store in the country. These VPNs aided internet users there to get around the government’s vast system of censorship and access uncensored sources of media. But by doing so, Apple has clearly decided to put its business before the interests of the population, opposition leaders and activists.
For example, Golden Frog, which makes privacy and security software including VyprVPN, was just one of several providers who said its software had been unceremoniously dumped from the App store. This was even after the company had supported Apple in their backdoor encryption battle with the F.B.I. last year. There’s loyalty for you.
Another, ExpressVPN, a provider based outside of China, said “all major VPN apps” including its own had been purged from Apple’s China-based store. Apple had told them that its app was removed because “it includes content that is illegal in China.” That’s semantics. The ‘illegal content’ referred to is the operation of an unlicensed VPN, a requirement which came in January. Will China ever license a VPN for users to circumvent its censorship? I think