Since Thursday, Iranian apps have been aggressively removed from App Store in a move described by Apple as being in line with US sanctions against Iran.
In a message to Iranian developers whose apps have been shut down from App Store, Apple said, “under the US sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute or do business with apps or developers connected to certain US embargoed countries.”
Following this move, some Iranian startup companies and app developers sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, calling for a stop to the crackdown. Iranian Twitter users have also started a campaign by making posts with the #StopRemovingIranianApps hashtag.
Although Apple has no official presence in Iran due to sanctions, the ICT minister Azari Jahromi noted that iPhones take up 11% of Iranian smart phone market.
In a poll conducted by an IT website on Twitter, 47 percent of participants said they would stop using iPhones if Apple continues removing all Iranian apps from its App Store. 27 percent said they would continue using iPhones, while 26 percent were undecided.
One of most popular Iranian apps that was removed from App Store on Thursday was Snapp, a ride-hailing app similar to Uber that has become increasing popular in Iran. Other apps that were also removed were related to food delivery, online stores, bike delivery, travel agencies, daily discounts, and other services.
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