Apple has removed several apps offering virtual private network (VPN) services from the Russian AppStore, following a request from Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, independent news outlet Mediazona reported on Thursday.
I can understand smuggled hardware, but it’s not like Russians can buy their localized App Store in India.. it would be much more helpful if they weren’t running it there, as the smuggled iPhones would be just bricks
I'm not an Apple person but IIRC their appstore is functional for already purchased and free apps. New purchases, as well as import of devices, are done via various grey schemes like via currencies and borders of third countries. I can't recall news about someone getting individually banned for that, but some opportunistic foreign banks closed their doors to rubles fearing sanctions. Official stores are closed, but I guess their repair\replace services are still operated but without a connection to the Apple themselves. There were also services to install non-Appstore banking clients and government's services via some loopholes. At the same time, except for the app in the OP, some apps can choose not to be availiable in a select country on their own.
I guess Apple did the formal exit and then stopped to care. It's not operating in Russia per se, but it operates in other countries with entities barely passing as legal consumers and resellers. They still get their profits as usual, and these interlayer smugglers make big bucks enough to be advertised in every second russian youtube video. Is there then a mechanism to make Apple filter them out?
A bit related news piece: russian gamers cried over Sony limiting Helldivers 2 to select countries, while other russian gamers dunked on them for they have PSN linked to the right country.
Classic stuff, Apple. While I can wrap my head around them sucking off China since that is where all their child labor factories are, playing ball with Russia shows who they are. Glad I switched to an open source OS for my phone.
Apple pulled out of the country after the invasion of Ukraine, but they left the AppStore up for people with existing hardware. Since they have a walled garden, if they kill the AppStore, they would also be killing access to things that Russian dissenters and refugees would need access to.
The walled garden needs to be destroyed. Compute devices should not be bound to the whims and fancies of their manufacturer. I'm honestly surprised it has gone on so long.