Apple recently pulled close to 30,000 apps from its Apple Store in China. This is one of the largest purges the company has done recently.
The recent purge of the Apple App Store in China complies with the regulations of the Chinese government. The apps were taken down because they have not complied with certain government regulations. More specifically, they are required to have a government license to support in-app purchases.
A long time coming
Reports claim that the purge has been a long time coming. On several occasions, Apple has reportedly warned app developers to acquire all the necessary licenses from government regulators. Reports noted that the extent of the purge goes back to when the tech giant issued the warning in June.
Research firm Qimai reported that the tech giant took down a total of 29,800 apps from its Chinese digital marketplace. Of this massive list, more than 26,000 apps are considered as games.
Firm accusing Apple of patent infringement wants to ban Siri in China https://t.co/CEiFXigsZC by @benlovejoy
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According to Reuters, the recent purge is just an extension of an earlier one, which took play earlier this month. Around the first week of July, Apple took down 2,500 apps over the same licensing violations. The tech giant was not cherry-picking its targets and took down apps from notable developers, including Zynga and Supercell.
Once the apps are taken down from the official App Store, they will cease to receive updates. The apps will continue to operate, but tech experts warn about possible malicious operations. It is important to note that the App Store no longer sanctions the apps.
A huge crackdown on unregulated apps
The Chinese government has a strict guideline with regards to apps that support in-app purchases on its platform. This restriction applies to all digital marketplace, including the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.
For its part, Google has implemented strict guidelines before developers can post their apps on its marketplace. The tech giant has been doing this since 2016. On the other hand, Apple has been slow in implementing the same rules and has only started to comply recently.
The Chinese digital app marketplace is a tough one to crack. The country is known for its strict application process, especially towards foreign developers. Developers are also forced to sanitize their apps to avoid sharing taboo political topics and cultural references.
Some tech insiders have noted that the Apple App Store purge will continue. According to recent estimates, there are more than 60,000 apps that support the in-app purchase. Both the tech giant and the Chinese government will pursue them within the foreseeable future.
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