Apple Reveals App Store Takedown Demands by Government
For the first time, Apple has published the number of requests it’s received from governments to take down apps from its app store.
In its latest transparency report, published Tuesday, the tech giant said it received 80 requests from 11 countries to remove 634 apps from its localized app stores during July 1 to December 31, 2018.
Apple didn’t list the apps that were removed, but noted in most cases why the apps were pulled. China made up the bulk of the requests, seeking to remove 517 apps claiming they violated its gambling and pornography laws. Vietnam and Austria also requested the removal of several apps that violated its gambling laws, while Kuwait asked Apple to pull some apps that fell afoul of its privacy laws.
