Apple has removed the Incy VPN client from the Russian App Store after a request from Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications regulator. The app's developers say they received an official notice from Apple on the night of October 27 citing Russian law as the basis for the takedown, and the service remains unavailable to users browsing the Russian storefront.
What Incy did and why it mattered
Incy had functioned as a replacement for Happ, another VPN service that Russian authorities blocked earlier. VPN tools like Incy route a device's internet traffic through servers in other countries, which lets users reach websites and services restricted within their own network. For many Russian users, such apps have become one of the few practical ways to access blocked foreign platforms and uncensored information.
According to Incy's developers, the app is still listed in App Store catalogs outside Russia, meaning the removal is specific to the Russian regional storefront rather than a global takedown. The developers say they are exploring alternative ways to restore access for users inside Russia, though no specific method or timeline has been confirmed.
The legal mechanism behind the removal
Apple's notice to the developers reportedly points to Article 15.1 of Russia's law "On Information, Information Technologies, and Information Protection." This statute gives Roskomnadzor authority to order the blocking of online resources and applications it deems to contain prohibited content, and it has increasingly been applied to tools that circumvent government-imposed internet restrictions. Apple, like other app store operators, has generally complied with such removal requests in order to keep operating its storefront within Russian jurisdiction.
This is not an isolated case. Apple previously transferred databases containing Russian users' information to servers inside the country, giving Roskomnadzor direct access to that data. Between July and September 2024 alone, Apple removed 60 VPN applications from the Russian App Store, pushing the cumulative total of blocked circumvention tools to 98.
Practical implications for users
For everyday users in Russia, the pattern points to a shrinking set of officially sanctioned options for accessing VPN services through Apple's platform. Each removal forces developers and users toward alternative distribution methods or entirely different tools, a cycle that has repeated with Happ, Incy, and dozens of other apps over the past year.
- Apps removed from the Russian storefront typically remain available in other countries' App Store catalogs.
- Regulatory removals rely on national law rather than a global Apple policy decision.
- Developers affected by these takedowns often attempt to find workarounds, though success is not guaranteed and may itself face further restrictions.
The broader trend underscores how app marketplaces operate differently across jurisdictions, with platform operators balancing global availability against compliance obligations in individual countries.