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China dictates the conditions for the continued operation of applications in the country.
Since September 29, Apple has started requiring app developers to provide proof of licensing by the Chinese government before their apps become available on the Chinese App Store.
With this move, Apple joined local competitors, including Tencent and Huawei, which have already implemented similar policies in their app stores to comply with strict government regulations.
According to information on the Apple developer website, the company requires developers to submit an application for registration of an "Internet Content Provider" (ICP) when publishing new applications in the App Store. ICP registration is a well-established method required for websites to operate legally in China, which most local app stores have adopted since 2017.
To get an ICP license, developers need to have a firm in China or cooperate with a local publisher, which has become a barrier for many foreign applications. In fact, in order for an application to receive an ICP license, its server part must be hosted in China. In other words, foreign apps must have a local component to be available for download in China.
Thanks to its loyal policy towards ICP, Apple was able to sell significantly more mobile apps than its competitors in China, which increased the company's popularity in the Middle Kingdom, the third largest market for Apple after America and Europe.
Under the new rules, apps without proper applications will be subject to penalties after the end of the transition period, which ends in March 2024, while new apps will have to comply with the law from September 2023.
Apple's decision comes after China tightened mobile app regulation, issuing a new rule requiring all app stores and developers to submit an "app statement" with information about their business to regulators. Apple has now closed a regulatory loophole that allowed users in China to download and use (via VPN) apps that were blocked by the government, such as WhatsApp, Facebook* and YouTube.
Many developers have expressed their concerns that Apple may introduce stricter regulations to fully comply with Chinese laws. Several Chinese iPhone users reported that they may have to switch to Apple accounts from other countries to use their favorite apps.
Since September 29, Apple has started requiring app developers to provide proof of licensing by the Chinese government before their apps become available on the Chinese App Store.
With this move, Apple joined local competitors, including Tencent and Huawei, which have already implemented similar policies in their app stores to comply with strict government regulations.
According to information on the Apple developer website, the company requires developers to submit an application for registration of an "Internet Content Provider" (ICP) when publishing new applications in the App Store. ICP registration is a well-established method required for websites to operate legally in China, which most local app stores have adopted since 2017.
To get an ICP license, developers need to have a firm in China or cooperate with a local publisher, which has become a barrier for many foreign applications. In fact, in order for an application to receive an ICP license, its server part must be hosted in China. In other words, foreign apps must have a local component to be available for download in China.
Thanks to its loyal policy towards ICP, Apple was able to sell significantly more mobile apps than its competitors in China, which increased the company's popularity in the Middle Kingdom, the third largest market for Apple after America and Europe.
Under the new rules, apps without proper applications will be subject to penalties after the end of the transition period, which ends in March 2024, while new apps will have to comply with the law from September 2023.
Apple's decision comes after China tightened mobile app regulation, issuing a new rule requiring all app stores and developers to submit an "app statement" with information about their business to regulators. Apple has now closed a regulatory loophole that allowed users in China to download and use (via VPN) apps that were blocked by the government, such as WhatsApp, Facebook* and YouTube.
Many developers have expressed their concerns that Apple may introduce stricter regulations to fully comply with Chinese laws. Several Chinese iPhone users reported that they may have to switch to Apple accounts from other countries to use their favorite apps.
