Durov criticized Apple for removing VPN services from the Russian App Store
Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has publicly condemned Apple’s decision to remove a number of VPN apps from the Russian section of its App Store.
According to the developer, such moves by the American tech giant directly contribute to the intensification of internet censorship in Russia.
The incident occurred on March 31, 2026, amid widespread technical disruptions in Telegram’s service within the Russian Federation.
Durov responded to an article by TechRadar, noting on his social media platform X: “Apple has just removed several VPN apps from the Russian App Store—specifically those that helped users bypass DPI-based censorship in Russia. That’s not cool, Apple.”
Specifically, tools popular among tech-savvy users, such as Streisand, V2Box, and v2RayTun, were targeted by the restrictions.
Pavel Durov also expressed the view that Apple’s motivation in this matter is purely financial.
“Apple is siding with Russian censorship because it fears losing profits in the Russian market, but this is a very short-sighted strategy,” he added in the comments to his post.
According to the developers of the removed services, Apple sent them official notifications stating that the software had been removed at the request of Roskomnadzor.
The regulator justified its claims by stating that the apps allegedly contain content considered illegal within the Russian Federation.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov lost $10 billion in a year.
As a reminder, Durov commented on reports in Russian media regarding the criminal case against him.
Durov’s account was also blocked on TikTok.
