Stay updated with the latest stock market news and insights
Weekly insights + SMS alerts
So here's a tech CEO calling out another tech giant for playing by the rules—specifically, the rules of an authoritarian government. On Tuesday, Telegram founder Pavel Durov took to X to highlight reports that Apple Inc. (AAPL) had removed several VPN and proxy applications from its App Store in Russia.
Think of it as Apple quietly taking away the digital skeleton keys that let people peek around government firewalls.
The apps in question—Streisand, V2Box, v2RayTun, and Happ Proxy Utility—weren't your average, consumer-friendly VPNs. According to Russian tech outlet Kod Durova, they gave users more granular control, allowing connections through private servers or the setup of custom proxies. They were tools for the tech-savvy to navigate around Russia's deep packet inspection (DPI)-based censorship.
"Apple just banned several VPN apps from the Russian App Store — targeting those that helped users bypass Russia's DPI-based censorship. That's not cool, Applee," Durov wrote. (Note the extra 'e'—perhaps a typo, or perhaps a subtle dig at the tech behemoth.)
This isn't an isolated incident. Data from AppleCensorship, a platform that tracks App Store availability globally, confirmed the apps were removed not just in Russia, but in China as well, as reported by TechRadar.
For users who already have these apps installed, they're not completely useless—yet. They can still open and run them. The real catch is what comes next, or rather, what doesn't. Those apps will no longer receive updates. That means no new features, and critically, no future security patches. In the world of software, especially tools dealing with privacy and bypassing restrictions, running an outdated version is a ticking time bomb.
The move aligns with a broader legal shift in Russia. A 2024 law criminalizes the dissemination of methods to bypass internet restrictions, essentially putting companies like Apple in a bind: comply with local laws or risk their business in the country.
Durov's call-out is just the latest spotlight on a much larger trend. In 2024 alone, Apple has reportedly delisted over 60 VPN apps from the Russian App Store. This sweep has affected major, household-name services like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN.
Apple's standard defense in these situations is straightforward: it operates under the legal frameworks of the countries where it does business. When a government passes a law, Apple typically complies to maintain market access. Cupertino did not immediately respond to a request for comment from MarketDash.
Here's an interesting wrinkle in the story: the digital experience isn't uniform across devices. While iOS users in Russia are finding their options dwindling, reports suggest that Android users still have access to these VPN apps through Google Play. It highlights the different approaches and pressures faced by the two mobile ecosystem giants.
Price Action: On Tuesday, Apple closed at $253.79, up 2.90% for the day. The stock rose further in after-hours trading to $254.99, a gain of 0.47%.
Real-time alerts on price moves, news, and trading opportunities.
Join 20,000+ investors. No spam, ever.
