- Apple reportedly removed proxy tools and VPN clients from the Russian App Store
- Streisand, V2Box, v2RayTun and Happ Proxy Utility would be unavailable
- Deletions come days after Telegram shutdown began
Apple has reportedly removed several VPN clients from its Russian App Store, marking a further escalation in the country’s efforts to control access to the Internet.
According to reports from Russian technology site Kod Durova, the removals include proxy and VPN service apps Streisand, V2Box, v2RayTun and Happ Proxy Utility.
Data from AppleCensorship, a platform that tracks App Store availability around the world, confirms that these apps have been delisted in Russia and China.
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Unlike traditional services like NordVPN or Surfshark, these apps allow users to connect to their own private servers or manual proxy setups.
The move follows a growing crackdown on VPNs in the country and coincides with the blocking of Telegram, which remains ongoing.
Targeting custom proxies
This is not the first time that Apple has removed VPN services from its Russian App Store.
In 2024 alone, the tech giant removed at least 60 VPN apps, affecting several well-known providers including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN.
These censorship efforts intensified significantly after the introduction of a 2024 law that criminalizes the dissemination of information about how to circumvent restrictions on the internet.
The developer behind v2RayTun – one of the apps impacted by this latest round of removals – shared a screenshot of an email received from Apple on Telegram.
Although these applications are no longer available for download on the Russian App Store, users who have already installed the tools will be able to continue using them as usual.
However, as they are removed from the list, these apps will no longer receive crucial software updates, including security patches, bug fixes, and new features through the App Store.
Asked about removing WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese App Store in 2024, the company told the Guardian it was “obligated to respect the laws of the country in which we operate, even if we disagree.”
TechRadar has contacted Apple and the affected developers for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
Kod Durova reports, however, that the same apps remain available for download via Google Play for Android users in the country.
The Telegram connection
News of these App Store removals comes at a time when access to a reliable VPN has never been more important in Russia.
Over the past two weeks, residents have faced severe connectivity issues with Telegram, the country’s most popular messaging app.
Just days before these disruptions began, government official Andrey Svintsov claimed that Roskomnadzor had developed the technical capability to selectively restrict VPN traffic, warning that circumvention tools would not help users circumvent Telegram’s blocking.
Speaking to TechRadar, Amnezia VPN founder Mazay Banzaev confirmed that while Russia’s main blocking mechanisms have not fundamentally changed, they have become more precise and effective.
“Better detection of VPN traffic, hosting infrastructure and related services now directly impacts Telegram availability,” Banzaev explained, while confirming that Amnezia Free and Premium can still bypass Telegram’s restrictions.
However, it is clear that the country’s approach to website blocking is changing.
“Previously, censors focused on identifying weak points – specific servers, proxies or CDNs. Now, blocking is applied more broadly and more aggressively, with less concern about collateral damage or unintended disruption,” Banzaev told TechRadar.
This latest wave of App Store removals marks a new phase in Russian internet censorship. By moving from traditional out-of-the-box VPN providers to tools that allow tech-savvy users to run custom proxy setups, Roskomnadzor is systematically closing the remaining gaps.
At this rate, iPhone users in Russia may soon find themselves with very few options for accessing the free web.
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