Apple accused of ‘aiding censorship’ as it removes numerous VPN apps in Russia

Apple has reportedly removed dozens of VPN apps in Russia, considerably more than the Kremlin’s censorship body officially reported. The App Censorship Project discovered that 60 apps, including several top VPN services, were quietly removed by the tech giant between early July and September 18, 2024. However, Russia’s censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, publicly acknowledged the removal of only 25 VPN apps.

Apple products are still being sold in Russia despite the firm officially leaving the market due to the invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. company has now removed a total of 98 VPNs, according to the GreatFire project.