As TechCrunch noted, it’s still possible for users to create an App Store account under a fake identity from another country, though the process to do so is somewhat obscure. A VPN is the only way for users to bypass the Chinese internet censorship system (the so-called “Great Firewall”), which has only grown more stringent in the two decades since it was enacted and prevents an estimated 700 million people from accessing politically inconvenient parts of the web.
“We’re disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding China’s censorship efforts,” ExpressVPN, one of the companies impacted by the removal, wrote in a blog post. “ExpressVPN strongly condemns these measures, which threaten free speech and civil liberties.”
ExpressVPN posted what it said was a letter they had received from Apple notifying them “your application will be removed from the China App Store because it includes content that it is illegal in China” and “it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your app conforms with all local law,” not just Apple guidelines.
When major Western tech companies are faced with the choice of sticking to core values or losing access to the extremely valuable and growing Chinese marketplace, the latter option often wins out. In 2010, Google decided to shut down the censored China branch of its search engine service after it discovered the government had launched cyberattacks to gain entry to human rights activists’ Gmail accounts, though it is in
negotiations to come back.
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