Removal of Some Iranian Apps from the App Store

Apple has begun removing some Iranian apps from the App Store. One of the most popular Persian apps, the Digikala app, has also been removed by the company. Amin Sabati, an internet expert from 'Small Media', told Radio Farda that the removal of these apps is not related to the change in the U.S. government but is due to financial sanctions that were enacted before Trump's presidency. Apps that facilitated financial transactions have been removed, and this does not pertain to other apps. Some reports indicate that Apple has taken action to remove Iranian apps belonging to startups and developers. Previously, in September 2016, Apple had opened its online store to Iranians and seemed to intend to gradually lift some restrictions thereafter. However, it has been reported on TechCrunch that the app of Iran's largest e-commerce service, Digikala, which has millions of users, was removed from the App Store a few days ago. Currently, there is no official Apple store presence in Iran, and many companies register their apps outside of Iran to be able to enter and register in this online store. Additionally, various banks in Iran have apps for the iOS platform that are often executed on phones. Digikala uses the Shaparak payment system, which is completely separate from international systems and theoretically does not comply with Apple's terms and conditions, which has provided Apple with a justification to remove this service's app. The technology site Zoomit, which is one of the reputable technology sites in Iran, also reported on Apple's action: 'In September 2016, Apple lifted some restrictions for Iranian developers to publish apps in its store, but it seems these restrictions have been re-imposed on Iranian programmers. It should be noted that due to the lack of official access to the App Store for Iran, developers usually register their apps through third countries in the App Store for users.' According to the latest statistics, Iranians own over 40 million smartphones, of which nearly 6 million are Apple iPhones. Some Iranian media have reported that over 100,000 iPhones are smuggled into Iran monthly.