Apple removes over 700 apps from its China App Store for flouting regulations

In its latest crackdown, Apple has pulled down over 700 apps from its App Store in China. This was first reported by News163 (via  The Telegraph), which said that the removed apps include Sogou, a Chinese alternative to Google, and Pinduodo, an online retail app. The reason for the crackdown is the apparent flouting of regulations of the Apple App Store. [caption id=“attachment_5289011” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]  A customer looks at the Apple iPhone XS after it went on sale at the Apple Store in Tokyo. Image: Reuters[/caption] The report states that per the App Store rules, app developers are prohibited from rolling out software updates without Apple’s permission. “Apple requires that app updates, such as new features or security improvements, are downloaded via the App Store itself, so that the company can approve them,” The Telegraph report reads. Further, according to an Apple Insider  report, app makers in China were notified of this rule almost two years ago. Even in August this year, Apple **removed some 25,000 gambling apps** from its store in China because they fell foul of Chinese regulations. This crackdown is the company’s latest attempt to achieve greater control over the Chinese App Store, which is believed to be the company’s biggest source of app revenue. Interestingly, Apple’s App Store is the only foreign source available to users in China, where the government has a strict ban on the Google Play Store.