From PC Mag: Apple is pulling VPN apps from its App Store in Russia and has removed over 50 this summer alone, bringing the total to nearly 100 VPN apps removed this year so far.
That's according to a new investigation from anti-censorship advocacy group GreatFire, which tracks App Store app removals around the world. Its data shows that Russia has seen 793 apps removed so far.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications authority, previously ordered the removal of 25 VPN apps. But GreatFire finds Apple has actually removed 98 this year. According to GreatFire's estimates, Apple has barred over 20% of known VPN apps from being available in Russia.
VPNs can be used to protect an internet user's privacy and disguise their location to circumvent national internet restrictions. Because of their anti-censorship features, VPNs or encrypted messaging services can be a target for authoritarian governments looking to restrict any criticism of their rule.
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