Apple has removed several VPN apps from its App Store in Russia at the request of Roskomnadzor, the government’s communications watchdog.
The decision came after Roskomnadzor cited that these VPN apps contained content deemed illegal in Russia.
Among the affected services were Le VPN and Red Shield VPN, whose developers received notifications from Apple about the removal of their apps for non-compliance with Russian law.
The regulator, Roskomnadzor, has been actively controlling the internet in Russia, with VPNs often used by citizens to bypass these restrictions.
Developers of the banned apps, such as Vladislav Zdolnikov of Red Shield VPN and Konstantin Votinov of Le VPN, expressed frustration over the removals, noting they were not given a chance to address the concerns.
This action is part of a broader crackdown on VPNs by the Russian government, which also banned VPN advertising ahead of the March elections.
Despite halting hardware exports to Russia in 2022 to protest the invasion of Ukraine, Apple’s App Store remains operational in the country.
The letter from Apple did not specify the exact reasons for the app removals, only stating they were based on Russian federal law. Both Apple and the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for comment.
