If you thought app store drama was limited to teenagers arguing over which game is hot, think again. The latest scoop is that Apple is pulling a Houdini on VPN apps in countries where you’d least want that to happen. On July 4, 2024 (yes, Independence Day… irony much?), several top VPN services vanished from Apple’s app store, starting in Russia with hints of more disappearing acts to follow. Meanwhile, Google seems to be playing it cool with these apps still available in their store.
Not to be outdone, China takes the lead in the “Not Available in Your App Store” Olympics, as a recent study shows zero VPN apps found in Apple’s App Store there. Benjamin Ismail, Project Director at AppCensorship, explains that China isn’t just twisting Apple’s arm to block VPN services but ensuring that residents can’t even sniff them. Other countries aren’t slouching either, with Iran, Russia, and Turkmenistan also branding themselves as virtual hermits by drastically reducing VPN app availability.
Despite the crackdown on VPN apps, there’s a little light at the tunnel’s end. Providers are getting crafty with sideloading options and using other means like Tor and alternative privacy tools to stay a step ahead of governmental bans. Meanwhile, Apple users can try changing their country settings or exploring other shadowy methods to snag the VPNs they need. But, as Ismail pointed out, it’s a cat-and-mouse game where new solutions could quickly face blocks once they gain popularity.
**Hot Take**
In a world where downloading a VPN might land you more glares than walking around in socks and sandals, it appears digital freedom is playing a giant game of ‘Where’s Waldo?’ And as countries like China steer the market into ‘Geoblock Gulch,’ tech users worldwide might just need to start wearing digital camouflage to sneak past the app store censors. Get ready folks, we’re not just browsing the web, we’re going undercover.
Original Article: https://www.techradar.com/pro/vpn/china-and-iran-top-new-vpn-censoring-list-heres-how-you-can-beat-the-bans