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<aside> ➡️ Examples of App Marketplaces: Apple App Store, Google Play App Store
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<aside> 🔷 Both Apple and Google have placed restrictions on Iranian apps and Iranian users' access to their app marketplaces [5]. The companies have blocked and removed many Iranian government apps, as well as some popular Iranian apps made by developers, due to U.S. sanctions on Iran. This includes apps like ride-sharing, e-commerce, COVID-19 tracing, and public services. Some apps were blocked over legitimate surveillance concerns, like those that collected user location data extensively for tracing purposes. Apple prohibits Iranian users from creating accounts to download apps [6], while Google blocks access to its Google Play Store and apps for devices set to Iran. While not full bans, the companies' restrictions have significantly limited Iranians' ability to publish and download apps through the official Apple and Google marketplaces, pushing them toward using other less safe methods for downloading and updating their apps.
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<aside> 📌 (UDHR Article 19: Freedom of Access to Information; UDHR Art. 27: Enjoy and share scientific advancement and its benefits; UDHR Article 2: Freedom from discrimination; UDHR Article 12: privacy)
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Iranians face various issues concerning app marketplaces, which result in human rights concerns. These include limited availability of apps due to economic sanctions and regulatory restrictions, preventing access to essential tools, communication platforms, and information sources. In addition, it becomes difficult for Iranians to use international payment methods, such as credit cards, for premium apps or in-app purchases, restricting access to certain features, tools, or services. Sometimes, Iranians might rely on friends and family members abroad to activate their apps or in-app purchases, which when companies discover this, may result in blocking the user from access to even the free version of the app. It can also lead to restrictions being placed on the cardholders and cause issues with banks. Furthermore, restrictions negatively impact the availability of app updates and customer support, potentially leaving Iranian users with outdated apps containing security vulnerabilities or without access to essential bug fixes and improvements.
There are also issues around localization and accessibility in languages, Terms of Services, and more. App stores - especially Google Play Store due to the majority of Android users - are also vulnerable to being blocked, most likely to limit VPN/circumvention tools, pushing Iranians to turn to downloading those apps via other unsafe avenues or downloading unofficial and forked apps that resemble the logo and appearance of the main app. Sometimes these forked versions are used for collecting users' information and later being used for government surveillance [7].
In terms of tech companies' legitimate concerns regarding removing apps from their marketplaces in cases where they are deemed to be used for surveillance and violation of privacy, there should be better due diligence, transparency and notifications about the process that went into place in making the decision of removing the app. Otherwise, the lack of due diligence may result in a biased approach to Iran's developers market and penalizing independent developers for a one-size-fits-all approach. The lack of notification about removing the app may result in further violation of users' privacy by keeping the unsafe app on their phone.