App Store taken offline for users in Iran
Apple appears to have pulled the App Store offline for users in Iran in what appears to be a ban put in place in accordance with strict US sanctions regulations that mean the App Store “cannot host, distribute or do business with apps or developers” connected to certain U.S. embargoed countries.
As reported by 9to5Mac who shared the news of the ban on Thursday, iOS users in Iran have appeared to have been able to bypass the ban by using a VPN service to create an App Store account registered to a different country.
Users who try to visit the App Store in Iran now receive a message reading, “The App Store is unavailable in the country or region you’re in.” – According to Bleeping Computer, Iranians have been unable to access the App Store since noon on Thursday.
— Saeed Taheri (@saeed_taheri) March 15, 2018
Image via Saeed Taheri.