Quote:In a blog post filled with a passionate defense of human rights and internet privacy, Andy Yen, the CEO of secure internet provider ProtonVPN, blasted Apple for blocking its latest update and accused the tech juggernaut of helping the global spread of authoritarianism by “giving in to tyrants.”
Yen used the post to explain this is an issue with immediate life-and-death consequences.
In the days following a Feb. 1 military coup that seized control of the Myanmar government, signups for ProtonVPN encrypted internet services exploded by 250 times over the previous average daily rate, Yen said. Encrypted internet access became particularly vital once the military started ordering the country’s telecom companies to block internet access and social-media platforms, he added.
Secure channels like ProtonMail were also being used to send evidence of crimes against humanity to the U.N. in response to the body’s March 17 appeal for people to preserve documentary evidence on the ground.
“In the same day the U.N. recommended Proton apps, Apple suddenly rejected important updates to our ProtonVPN iOS app,” Yen wrote. “These updates include security enhancements designed to further improve safeguards against account takeover attempts which could compromise privacy,” Yen said.
Yen posted a letter from Apple explaining the update was rejected because the app’s description says, “Whether it’s challenging governments, educating the public or training journalists, we have a long history of helping bring online freedom to more people around the world.”
The letter added that the explainer would need to be changed so it’s “not presented in such a way that it encourages users to bypass geo-restrictions or content limitations.”
Apple hasn’t responded to Threatpost’s requests for a response to the allegations leveled in the post.
Read more: ProtonVPN CEO Blasts Apple for 'Aiding Tyrants’ in Myanmar | Threatpost
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