Cloudflare’s VPN app among the dozen released in Indian stores

More than half a dozen VPN apps, including Cloudflare’s widely used 1.1.1.1, have been removed from India’s Apple App Store and Google Play Store following the intervention of government officials, TechCrunch has learned.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order to remove the software, according to a document reviewed by TechCrunch and information provided by Google to Lumen, a Harvard University database that tracks government requests around the world.

Among the affected apps are Hide.me and PrivadoVPN. In a conversation with one of the victims, seen by TechCrunch, Apple mentioned “requests” from the Indian Cyber ​​​​​​Crime Coordination Center, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which saw the manufacturer’s violation of Indian law.

The ministry, along with Apple, Google and Cloudflare, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This push is to mark India’s first launch in 2022 VPN software management system. The rules mandate that VPN providers and cloud service providers keep their customers’ information, including names, addresses, IP addresses and transaction history, for five years.

Demand for sustainability led to a push back from the industry’s biggest players. Leaders like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, SurfShark and ProtonVPN have expressed serious doubts about the rules, with several plans to announce. Remove their server hardware from India.

NordVPN, ExpressVPN and SurfShark continue to serve Indian customers, although they have stopped advertising their apps in the country.