Apple Requires Chinese Government License for New Apps on App Store

Intan Rakhmayanti Dewi, CNBC Indonesia

Tech

Wednesday, 04/10/2023 21:00 WIB

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Apple has begun requiring new apps to show proof of a license from the Chinese government before being released on the App Store.

This is done to comply with regulations in China. Xi Jinping’s government requires local and foreign applications to submit detailed documents before obtaining permits to operate in China.

Apple began last week requiring app developers to submit internet content provider (ICP) applications when they publish new apps on the App Store.

ICP submission is a long-term registration system, which is required for websites to operate legally in China. Most local app stores including those operated by Tencent and Huawei have adopted it since at least 2017.

To obtain an ICP archiving license, developers must have a company in China or cooperate with a local publisher, which has been an obstacle for many foreign applications.

Apple’s relaxed ICP policy has allowed it to offer more mobile apps than its local app rivals and helped the US tech giant increase its popularity in China, its third-largest market after America and Europe.

Launching from ReutersWednesday (4/10/2023), Apple’s decision was taken after China tightened its supervision of mobile applications in August by issuing new rules requiring all application stores and application developers to submit “application filings” containing business details to the regulator.

Chinese regulators last week released the names of the first batch of mobile app stores that have completed application applications, but Apple’s App Store was not included in the list.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on this matter.

Apple’s compliance status could impact the accessibility of hundreds of thousands of apps in its App Store in China, including popular foreign apps like X, formerly known as Twitter, and Telegram, which became popular during protests against Covid-19 lockdowns.

Apple also faces another problem, namely because Beijing is more focused on security, which has led to several government agencies banning their employees from using iPhones.

Rich Bishop, CEO of app publishing company AppInChina, said demanding ICP filings from developers brings Apple one step closer to fully complying with regulations in China.

Expanded rules issued in August effectively require an app’s backend to be hosted in China, which last month became a requirement for apps to be featured in local Android app stores.

Many developers took to social media to voice disappointment over Apple’s decision, fearing it would further tighten regulations to fully comply with Chinese regulations.

In a post on X, Jinyu Meng, an independent developer, said, “If my app cannot be launched in China without an application submission, I will delete my app [di sana].”

Some iPhone users in the country posted on X saying that they may need to use an Apple account from another country to access their favorite apps.

Under the new rules, apps that do not have proper filings will be penalized after a grace period that will end in March next year, while newly developed apps will have to comply with the rules starting in September.

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