VPNs are Disappearing from App Stores in India, Possibly Due to a 2022 Law.
Is the Indian government discreetly focusing on VPN applications?
India has made the decision to remove some VPN applications from the official Apple and Google stores in the country, arguing that they do not comply with local regulations. According to the removal notifications reviewed, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued orders to withdraw the Hide.me application at the end of October 2024. Interestingly, these notifications cite different sections of the Information Technology Act of 2000: Section 79 and Section 66.
Recent reports indicate that more than six VPN applications have been removed so far from the official stores in India, including Hide.me, PrivadoVPN, and Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 service. Despite this, some of the more well-known VPN applications have confirmed that their services remain available at the current time.
The reasons behind this measure are complex, but they are not explicitly mentioned in the removal notifications. However, these actions appear to be a direct result of the controversial data retention law implemented in India in 2022. Under the new directive from India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), VPN providers are required to maintain user logs for at least five years and to provide them to authorities upon request.
This situation has led several VPN companies to withdraw from the country. Recognized companies such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Hide.me, Surfshark, and Proton VPN have decided to remove their servers from India to protect the privacy of their users. According to Sebastián Schaub, CEO of Hide.me, the removal orders are not entirely surprising given that recent reforms have imposed "an impossible burden on VPN providers to operate legally in the country."
It is also important to note that what is happening in India is not an isolated case. Between July and September last year, approximately 60 VPN applications quietly disappeared from the Apple store in Russia, increasing the total number of unavailable applications to 98.
Schaub expressed concern over the Indian government's actions, stating that this type of censorship should have no place in a democracy. As of January 3, 2025, some of the leading VPN market companies reported that they have not received any removal notifications and that their applications remain available in the respective stores. Providers like NordVPN, Surfshark, Mullvad VPN, and PureVPN reported no issues with their services.
The situation continues to be monitored, and updates will be provided as it evolves, as there is concern among users about the impact these actions may have on their preferred VPN applications.
