Technology giant Apple’s most recent transparency report includes two new categories detailing government-directed app takedown requests, one covering legal violations and another for platform policy violations. China filed the highest number of requests by far, with 56 total filings calling for the removal of 626 apps deemed to be unlawful or contain unlawful content. In all, Apple removed 517 apps from the App Store at the behest of China. Russia came in a distant second with 10 requests targeting 11 apps, 10 of which were pulled by Apple. Norway, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland each filed one request respectively naming 37, 25 and 19 legally dubious apps, while Vietnam sought the removal of 29 apps in three separate filings. According to Apple, a "vast majority" of apps removed in China violated gambling or pornography laws, while takedown requests in Vietnam pertained to illegal gambling and unlicensed gaming app investigations. "All or vast majority" of requests in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia and Switzerland relate to illegal gambling investigations, and all 25 apps named by Saudi Arabia allegedly violated local privacy laws.

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Apple Insider