Even if the tech giant Apple does not sell iPhones or apps via the App Store in Iran, Iranians could still import the tech giant Apple’s products from another country and set them up for them to have access to parts of the App Store targeting other regions. It seems now the tech giant Apple has closed that gap by blocking any traffic coming from Iran to access the App Store. It is unclear what brought about the change, but presumably, they will be back to the US sanctions against Iran: sanctions that President Trump raised last year. The tech giant Apple did not make a statement about the changes and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this, prompted by several channels that have contacted the company.
If the ban is permanent, iOS device owners in Iran will have to route Internet traffic through VPNs, making them look like they are in another country, to have access to the App Store in the future. This will make it much more difficult to use Apple devices. Users attempting to visit the App Store in Iran now receive a message saying: “The App Store is not available in the country or region you are in.” According to tweets from the Saeed Taheri iOS programmer (among many others), Iranian users attempting to view the App Store now receive this error message.
— Saeed Taheri 🇮🇷 (@saeed_taheri) March 15, 2019 The tech giant Apple began removing the applications of Iranian programmers from the App Store last year. In January, it “attacked” applications that facilitated transactions for companies, and in August, removed a number of popular consumer applications, including a greeting service and a food delivery service. “Under US sanctions regulations, the App Store may not lodge, distribute, or market with applications or developers linked to certain US embargoed countries.” He referred the tech giant Apple to a message to programmers at the time. This seems to show that with the Trump administration, the tech giant Apple really has to stay in line with United States law under penalty of retaliation. So, what do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
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