In a significant development, more than half a dozen VPN apps have been removed from India’s Apple App Store and Google Play Store following intervention from government authorities. This move comes as part of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs’ efforts to enforce its 2022 regulatory framework governing VPN apps.

Affecting Apps and Developers

The affected apps include Cloudflare’s widely used 1.1.1.1, Hide.me, and PrivadoVPN. In a communication to one of the affected developers, seen by TechCrunch, Apple cited a "demand" from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (IC3C), part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which deemed the developer’s content to contravene Indian law.

The enforcement action marks the first significant implementation of India’s 2022 regulatory framework governing VPN apps. The rules mandate that VPN providers and cloud service operators maintain comprehensive records of their customers, including names, addresses, IP addresses, and transaction histories, for a five-year period.

Industry Pushback Against Stringent Requirements

The stringent requirements have prompted pushback from major industry players. Leading brands like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN voiced significant reservations about the rules, with several announcing plans to withdraw their server infrastructure from India.

Key Points

• The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has issued removal orders for several VPN apps.
• Apple has cited a "demand" from the IC3C as the reason for removing the apps.
• The regulatory framework requires VPN providers and cloud service operators to maintain customer records for five years.
• Industry players have expressed concerns about the stringent requirements.

Developer Response

NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark continue to maintain services for Indian customers, though they have stopped marketing their apps in the country. The developers have not commented on the removal of their apps from the app stores.

What’s Next?

The enforcement action is a significant development in India’s efforts to regulate VPN apps. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the industry and whether other countries will follow suit.

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