# Petition Apple to restore censorship-free VPN apps in the Russian App Store

Source: https://chng.it/FdJTbxpPXg
Kiwi News: https://news.kiwistand.com/stories/Petition-Apple-to-restore-censorship-free-VPN-apps-in-the-Russian-App-Store?index=0x6690ea24e87f3cdabe4b8cf37e36a8148cc3ead9279cdd8ebbec512fa9770551e8869b31
Submitted by freeatnet.eth on 2024-07-12 UTC, 6 upvotes, 0 comments

## Summary

Apple removed VPN apps including Red Shield VPN, Le VPN, HideMyName, PlanetVPN, AdGuard VPN and ProtonVPN from the Russian App Store on July 4, 2024, after a request from Roskomnadzor, Russia's censorship agency, according to Apple's explanation. A petition urges Apple to restore the blocked VPN services and stop assisting censorship in Russia, and asks members of the U.S. Congress to pay attention. The petition states that VPNs are the only way for people in Russia to access independent information, and that Apple paid a fine of approximately $13.4 million to the Russian budget in January 2024 while continuing to collect payments in the Russian App Store.

## Article

On July 4, 2024, Apple removed the VPN applications Red Shield VPN, Le VPN, HideMyName, PlanetVPN, AdGuard VPN, ProtonVPN and many others from the Russian AppStore.

Apple explained that it did this at the request of the Russian censorship agency (Roskomnadzor).

The Russian authorities are blocking all popular foreign media and independent Russian media. Among the hundreds of thousands of blocked resources are Facebook and Instagram.

Some of the blocked VPN services are known for maintaining their availability to Russian users despite years of attempts by Russian authorities to block their operation using DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).

VPN services are the only opportunity for those who are in Russia to access independent information.

Thus, Apple helped Putin and his regime deny access to free information to hundreds of thousands of people in Russia.

Despite statements about leaving the Russian market, Apple continues to collect payments in the Russian AppStore. Also, for example, in January 2024, Apple paid a fine to the Russian budget of approximately $13.4 million - and we remind you that a significant part of the Russian budget is spent on the war with Ukraine.

We consider Apple's actions, driven by fear of losing the Russian market, to be immoral and even criminal.

We urge Members of the U.S. Congress to pay attention to Apple's open support of Putin's censorship.

We demand that Apple stop assisting Putin and his regime in suppressing freedom of speech in Russia and return the blocked VPN services to the Russian AppStore.

Share this petition using the link: https://AppleHelpsPutin.com