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Apple has removed yet another popular VPN app from its Russian App Store
NORSE Labs DVPN adds to the over 100 VPN apps currently unavailable in Russia's Apple App Store. Here's all you need to know.
- Apple has removed DVPN from its App Store at Russia's request
- NORSE Labs' decentralized VPN was among Apple's top free VPN apps
- Over 100 VPNs are currently unavailable in the Russian Apple App Store, with at least 60 apps killed since July last year
Earlier today, April 17, 2025, the Founder and CEO of NORSE Labs, Aleksandr Litreev, received a notification from Apple that its decentralized VPN app was removed per Roskomnadzor's demand "because it includes content that is illegal in Russia."
The NORSE Labs DVPN app has gained huge popularity lately across the country, ranking #3 among Apple's top free apps before the block – the provider reported. It adds to the over 100 VPNs, including some of the best VPNs on the market, currently unavailable in Russia's Apple App Store.
Apple keeps killing popular Russia VPNs
"Just a few hours ago, Apple removed our NORSE Labs DVPN app from the Russian App Store – without any valid court order – at the request of Roskomnadzor, the government’s censorship agency," announced Litreev in a X post on Thursday morning.
A popular free VPN app especially for Russian Apple TV, Mac, and iPad users, DVPN is a decentralized VPN service by NORSE Labs that relies on a global network of independent nodes rather than centralized VPN servers.
This feature, the provider explains on its official website, should make it much harder for governments or ISPs to block access to the service. It doesn't then promise only better privacy and security, but also stronger censorship circumvention skills – exactly what's needed to bypass Roskomnadzor's internet blocks currently in place.
A Russian activist and IT engineer, Litreev is a well-known opposition figure in Russia who was involved with Alexei Navalny's movement. In 2020, he managed to flee to Estonia and escape trial.
Since then, he's been working in the decentralized VPN space to offer privacy and anti-censorship solutions to help people in Russia, China, Venezuela, and other countries enforcing strong control on the national internet.
"Ensuring secure and free access to independent media is a fundamental duty of any democratic power in the fight for human rights, and Apple picked the wrong side," said Litreev.
Just a few hours ago, @Apple removed our @norselabs DVPN app from the Russian App Store—without any valid court order—at the request of Roskomnadzor, the government’s censorship agency.Thread
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