The new rules require VPN providers and cloud service operators to archive detailed records of their customers, comprising names, addresses, IP addresses, and transaction histories, for a period of five years.
These strict demands have triggered objections from major industry players né?. Leading brands like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN have expressed reservations about the rules, some announcing plans to withdraw their server infrastructure from India.
While NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark maintain services for Indian users, they have ceased app marketing within the country.
**Techcrunch Event**
Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass
Build smarter. Connect deeper. Scale faster. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures NEA Index Ventures Underscore VC and more for a day filled with strategies workshops and meaningful connections.
Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass
Build smarter. Connect deeper né?. Scale faster. Apple informed one of the affected developers that they received a “demand” from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, citing a violation of Indian law in the developer’s content.
Despite requests for comments, neither the ministry nor Apple, Google, or Cloudflare responded.
This regulatory enforcement signifies the initial significant step of India’s 2022 framework governing VPN apps. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and more for a day filled with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections.
Boston, MA
July 15
REGISTER NOW. Over half a dozen VPN apps, including the popular 1.1.1.1 service by Cloudflare, have been removed from both India’s Apple App Store and Google Play Store following government intervention, as reported by TechCrunch.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs issued orders for the removal of these apps, as disclosed by Google to Lumen, the database of Harvard University that monitors global government requests for content takedowns.
Among the impacted apps are Hide.me and PrivadoVPN
