Apple's Store Not Complying?
Following the enactment of a new rule in China that requires businesses managing app stores to provide information about their operations, the country has now made public a list of companies adhering to the law. But apparently, Apple is missing from this list of companies.
In a story published by Reuters on Wednesday, September 27, other rivals in this field have reportedly filed the aforementioned data, and they conform with the requirements.
There are a total of 26 firms on the list, six of which are considered to be among the most powerful in the industry. These are Baidu, Huawei, Tencent, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Alibaba-owned Ant Group.
The cutoff date for the submission of information has been determined, and it is less than a year away. According to Apple Insider, companies have until March 2024 to submit their applications. This is based on the directive of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), issued in August 2023.
In addition to app stores, the rule mandates that app developers must either have a business presence in China or collaborate with a publisher based there.
The new regulation in China covers much more ground than simply big app stores. Any business that provides online information services through apps in certain industries, including journalism, publishing, education, cinema and television, and religious practice, is required to provide comparable paperwork under the new laws enforced by the CAC.
There is a lack of clarity around how or when Apple will comply with the demand imposed by China. It is less obvious how smaller organizations, including news venues, would handle this situation.
Recent Crackdown on App Developers
Major smartphone apps like X, Facebook, and Instagram are blocked in China because of the government's longstanding monopoly on app distribution there. Even whole classes of software have been outlawed by the government, such as VPNs and, more recently, generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs. There has also been a push to restrict gambling by requiring individual licenses for mobile gaming apps.
And the most recent crackdown on app developers was revealed last month.
In a report by 9to5Mac, the new legislation mandates that anybody wishing to make an app accessible in China's App Store must first "file business details" with the country's government. Developers will also be required by law to establish a local Chinese publishing entity.
The first step in enforcing the rule is for app stores to establish filing systems to verify the legality of newly released apps. This had to be completed by the end of August.
