With these VPNs gone, it will be simpler for the Chinese Government to maintain its ‘Great Firewall’. The VPNs removed by Apple allowed users to access blocked and restricted content in China.
Why Apple scrapped these VPN’s?
Earlier in January, the Chinese Government made it compulsory for VPNs to acquire a license from the Government. Apple also sent out notifications to developers, telling them about the noncompliance of their VPNs. With the removal of about 60 VPNs from App Store, Apple still has about a dozen legal VPNs available for the users. Also, Apple is cooperation in the Chinese Government’s cooperation to save their major share. Talking about it further, China is the major component manufacturer for Apple devices. Also, about 25% of Apple’s sales come in from China and its surroundings. This is being reported as a major reason for Apple’s compliance in VPN censorship.
What is a VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an added layer of security and privacy. A VPN especially comes in handy when you’re on an Open or Public WiFi network. It replaces your original IP address to show a Virtual address, masking your actual location, ID and other details. Apart from individual usage, a VPN is majorly used by companies to protect sensitive data and information. You can log into a VPN by simply entering a username and password, and you’ll be totally secured from any misuse of data. Apple released a statement in this regard, “Earlier this year China’s MIIT announced that all developers offering VPNs must obtain a license from the government. We have been required to remove some VPN apps in China that do not meet the new regulations. These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business.”
