Apple Pulls VPN Apps From China App Store As Russia Signs Law Banning Their Use

[NinerL]

Russia has banned VPNs and other software that enables users to gain anonymous access to websites. The new law was signed by President Vladimir Putin on Monday and will come into effect on November 1st (via TechCrunch). 

Leonid Levin, chairman of the Duma's committee on information policy and technology, was quotedby state-run media as saying that the new law is not targeted at "introducing new bans for law-abiding citizens" but aims to prohibit access to illegal content. 

However, privacy advocates see the law as another way for the Russian government to restrict access to political content that it disagrees with. In 2015, it became mandatory for all user data from Russian citizens to be stored in Russian-based servers, and last year another law was passed making it necessary for internet service providers to retain traffic data for up to a year. 

Recently the government also threatened to block access to the Telegram encrypted messaging platform unless the company that runs the app provides more information about itself. 

Elsewhere, virtual private networks took another blow over the weekend, as reports emerged that Apple has removed the majority of VPN apps from the App Store in China, following regulations passed earlier in the year that require such apps to be authorized by the Chinese government. 

The action was first revealed by ExpressVPN, a provider based outside of China. The company said in a blog post that "all major VPN apps" including its own had been removed from the App Store.

"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 strongly condemns these measures, which threaten free speech and civil liberties," ExpressVPN wrote on its blog.

The company shared a note from Apple explaining that its app was removed because "it includes content that is illegal in China". A few hours later, Apple issued a statement to TechCrunch explaining its decision to pull the apps from the App Store: 

Earlier this year China’s MIIT announced that all developers offering VPNs must obtain a license from the government. We have been required to remove some VPN apps in China that do not meet the new regulations. These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business.

Earlier this month, China reportedly started blocking some features of the WhatsApp messaging service, as authorities continued to tighten controls over the country's internet. 

 

Via : https://www.macrumors.com/2017/07/31/russia-bans-vpns-apple-pulls-apps-china/

VPN's are illegal in China, and starting on November 1st it'll be illegal to use a VPN in Russia.

Apple's hands are tied, they can't do anything about it, it's the law of the land. 

[DrMacintosh]

The Red Scare 2.0 is on its way

[vanished]

Great for making sure you can find those who speak out about the government 

[Rubymaster]

I'm not surprised at all. Only a matter of time before the US tries (not necessarily succeeds) to do the same.

[goodtofufriday]

USSR making a come back. Real Shame that the world cant move past its history. Seems since WW1 we've just been on repeat. 

[GDRRiley]

can you fix the post for night users?

Why do people still call Vladimir Putin a president he is a dictator, nothing about Russia is a democracy 

[NinerL]

6 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

can you fix the post for night users?

Why do people still call Vladimir Putin a president he is a dictator, nothing about Russia is a democracy 

I'm not sure how to do it tbh I might ruin it, if a mod can fix it, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks

[Satisfoxy]

My social studies teacher once told me that we are taught history so we don't repeat it. What a bloody waste of time am I right?

[Fahim Foysal]

I live in Bangladesh. Vpn used to be banned here for a short while but people were furious. They lifted the ban eventually

[sazrocks]

1 hour ago, Rubymaster said:

I'm not surprised at all. Only a matter of time before the US tries (not necessarily succeeds) to do the same.

It’s not even hard to conceal this either. Just https encrypt the VPN tunnel and send it to a server on port 443. Bam, looks just like web traffic.

[Zando_]

1 hour ago, NinerL said:

I'm not sure how to do it tbh I might ruin it, if a mod can fix it, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks

Just select all the text, and click the Tx button next to the font size dropdown. 

[Jito463]

1 hour ago, NinerL said:

I'm not sure how to do it tbh I might ruin it, if a mod can fix it, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks

36 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Just select all the text, and click the Tx button next to the font size dropdown. 

 

Or even simpler, just set the text color to automatic (click the A button in the format bar).

[ivan134]

Russia is a great ally.  Much greater than our older allies

[MoonSpot]

Awesome, I guess.  This should make it easier for western corporations espionage and manipulation efforts.  Just get a few people setup on their side of the fence and data mine the crap out of their citizenry.  With it being illegal to even try to protect themselves, its almost like they've legalized financial identity rape and electronic social engineering.

[hobobobo]

16 minutes ago, MoonSpot said:

Awesome, I guess.  This should make it easier for western corporations espionage and manipulation efforts.  Just get a few people setup on their side of the fence and data mine the crap out of their citizenry.  With it being illegal to even try to protect themselves, its almost like they've legalized financial identity rape and electronic social engineering.

The news today said citizens can continue using vpn tor hamachi whatever, its forbidden to provide those services) sounds retarded, and it is, prolly just want their grabby mitts on the balls of service providers to squeeze whatever data they need...

 

As a great russian writer, Saltykov-Shedring i think, said: "the harshness of Russia's laws is compensated by them being optional to follow", something like this. In russian it sounds like "Суровость Российских законов компенсируется необязательностью их исполнения"

[BuckGup]

So Tor just got flooded. Also what's to stop people from making their own? You can hide a pi at a local coffee shop and use that as a server so when they raid the coffee shop they don't know it's you

[Zodiark1593]

Apple's walled garden approach seems to bear it's fangs here too as, without a jailbreak, you can't simply load an unofficial VPN application like you can with Android.

[vanished]

1 hour ago, BuckGup said:

So Tor just got flooded. Also what's to stop people from making their own? You can hide a pi at a local coffee shop and use that as a server so when they raid the coffee shop they don't know it's you

I highly doubt anyone would raid a coffee shop for whatever you're doing, and if they would, you'd probably want better protection than that  

[BuckGup]

24 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I highly doubt anyone would raid a coffee shop for whatever you're doing, and if they would, you'd probably want better protection than that  

If it's illegal to use a VPN and you are using one then they will monitor you hard as they will say there is no reason to use one.

[vanished]

Just now, BuckGup said:

If it's illegal to use a VPN and you are using one then they will monitor you hard as they will say there is no reason to use one.

and if someone does decide to visit the coffee shop, what's to stop them from taking it and seeing who connected to it?  

[BuckGup]

1 hour ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

and if someone does decide to visit the coffee shop, what's to stop them from taking it and seeing who connected to it?  

Have a self destruct circuit when unplugged and keep no logs

[Akolyte]

I don't even give a damn anymore.  A war is going to come at some point it's invetable and I just don't do anything overly personal on my devices.  As long as my assets aren't being stolen.  

 

Im in infosec in a country that is one of the five eyes.  The world is heading toward 1984 and Im less worried about privacy that in the end we are never going to get and be more worried about preparing my mind, soul and body for every trial I will face. 

 

People will say 2000's and 2010's were the golden days of the internet.  The 2020's are most likely going to be the period the internet will become monitized, and invested with corporate and government weeds that bind it down like a fly stuck in a spiderweb.  

[captain_to_fire]

Are we headed towards a cold war again? 

[themctipers]

3 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Apple's walled garden approach seems to bear it's fangs here too as, without a jailbreak, you can't simply load an unofficial VPN application like you can with Android.

I am pretty sure you can still just login with a Apple ID from another country and download apps from there.

[vanished]

1 hour ago, hey_yo_ said:

Are we headed towards a cold war again? 

idk, maybe?  I don't think this really is a sign of it one way or the other though... it's just about countries controlling people internally.  It's not like they're threatening to build missile silos next door