Apple keeps killing VPN apps upon Russia's orders – Amnezia VPN is the last victim

The best VPN apps proceed to vanish from nan Apple App Store successful Russia upon authorities request.

Earlier today, October 31, 2024, it was nan clip for Amenzia VPN, a celebrated free VPN work developed by Russian integer authorities defense group Roskomsvoboda.

The supplier shared nan bad news connected its Telegram channel successful nan early hours of nan day. The squad besides confirmed to TechRadar that tests conducted by nan AppleCensorship project could show really nan app became unavailable only 4 hours – aliases moreover little than that – aft developers received notifications from Apple astir nan Russian censor body's bid (see nan image below).

"This is different confirmation of really lightning-fast Apple is successful fulfilling censors' demands," an Amnezia VPN spokesperson told me. "For companies whose apps are removed, location is nary clip aliases opportunity to situation nan requests of nan Russian authorities."

The Big Tech elephantine has already removed over 60 VPN apps since July this year. A full of almost 100 services are presently unavailable for download successful nan charismatic App Store successful Russia.

As mentioned earlier, experts astatine Roskomsvoboda developed Amnezia VPN precisely to springiness group surviving nether strict net censorship a intends to entree nan unfastened web. The squad claims, successful fact, that Amenzia VPN is 1 of nan astir unchangeable and effective VPNs moving successful Russia, Iran, and different countries wherever VPN protocols are monitored and blocked by authorities.

In September 2024, a ample conjugation of quality authorities organizations, media, and VPN providers wrote an unfastened missive calling Apple to "immediately restore" VPN apps to its Russian App Store. According to experts, that missive remains unanswered.

"Apple continues to disregard civilian society’s demands to do nan correct point and uphold quality authorities successful Russia by reinstating VPNs they person blocked astatine nan petition of Roskomnadzor, nan country’s censorship agency," said Anastasiya Zhyrmont, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Policy Manager astatine Access Now, while describing nan removal of Amenzia VPN "a immense rustle to basal freedoms."

How to download a Russia VPN

Whether you unrecorded successful Russia aliases are visiting anytime soon, you surely request a VPN to support accessing nan unfastened web. Both Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) categorize Russia arsenic 1 of nan worst countries for net state owed to its precocious levels of online censorship.

A VPN, short for virtual backstage network, spoofs your existent IP reside location to thief you bypass geo-restrictions connected online contented while encrypting each your net connections to boost your privateness erstwhile browsing.

If you're struggling to download a Russia VPN app, beneath are immoderate speedy tips Zhyrmont from Access Now shared pinch us:

• Download arsenic galore VPN apps still disposable arsenic possible. This will let you to hop from 1 to different successful lawsuit immoderate services will extremity working. I propose looking astatine our free VPN guideline to get nan astir unafraid services retired location without paying for them all.
• Download independent media apps pinch embedded circumvention technologies. While galore websites for independent publications are restricted successful Russia, newsrooms developed censorship-resistant applications truthful that readers tin entree their contented without nan request to download a VPN. The Meduza app is 1 worthy checking out.
• Try to move your Apple ID from ru-zone. Doing this whitethorn beryllium a spot challenging, though, particularly if you person progressive subscriptions connected nan Apple App Store.

All successful all, experts consciousness that Apple should beryllium a vendor to debar successful nan first spot for group successful Russia who want to support enjoying their integer freedoms.

Commenting connected this point, Stanislav Shakirov, CTO astatine Roskomsvoboda told me: "[Apple] is nan only 1 helping Russian censors. If this argumentation is not changed, complete clip Apple's instrumentality will beryllium useless for entree to nan free Internet from Russia arsenic location will beryllium thing near successful nan Russian AppStore that has not been blocked by authorities."