According to WSJ , China has sent a request to Apple to comply with regulations on managing foreign-origin applications on the App Store (for iOS, iPadOS). For many years, the world's most populous country has always tightened its internet content filters to prevent domestic users from accessing some foreign websites and applications. To use social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, WhatsApp or Google services, people connecting to the internet in China are forced to use VPN (virtual private network).
According to research firm Sensor Tower, in the past 10 years, there have been more than 170 million downloads of the above social networking/messaging software in China alone. Of these, Instagram has had nearly 54 million since 2012, Facebook has 37 million, YouTube has 34 million, X has 33 million and WhatsApp is at the bottom with 13 million downloads.
Apple is being asked to register to manage foreign-origin apps in China
With the new regulations, the firewall - a tool that blocks access to banned Chinese websites and services - will "plug" the loopholes that have been exploited for a long time. Specifically, Apple cannot provide services from abroad if the application has not been registered with the management agency. But registration is not easy, according to experts, because it involves the issue of data transfer and censorship. If it does not want to be fined, Apple is forced to remove the application from the App Store.
The new rules apply to all foreign companies operating in the same field, but Apple is heavily affected by having about 1,000 unregistered software. At the same time, two domestic companies, Huawei and Xiaomi, have updated the rules and called on software developers to complete the registration.
If it fails to register, Apple will have to remove many applications from its software store, a service that contributes significantly to its business indicators in China. To operate smoothly here, Apple has made many concessions. In 2020, the American company removed thousands of applications related to video games.
Therefore, Chinese technology experts believe that Apple will continue to comply with the new regulations and in the future, domestic developers' software will have a large advantage in the App Store here.
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