As Beijing tightens oversight, Apple imposes new check on apps in China

Apple has started requiring new apps to provide proof of a Chinese government licence before being made available on Apple's China App Store, joining local rivals that had adopted the policy years earlier to comply with the stringent state regulations.

According to information on Apple's website for developers, the company started forcing app developers last Friday (29 Sep) to submit the "internet content provider (ICP) filing" whenever they publish new apps on the App Store.

What is ICP filing?

An ICP filing is a long-standing registration method, which is necessary for websites to operate lawfully in China. Since at least 2017 most local app stores, including those run by Tencent and Huawei, have adopted it.

To obtain an ICP filing licence, developers need to have a firm in China or collaborate with a local publisher, which has been a barrier for many overseas apps.

Due to its lax ICP policy, Apple has been able to sell significantly more mobile apps than its local competitors, which has increased the US tech giant's popularity in China, its third-largest market after the Americas and Europe.

Apple made its decision after China further tightened its regulation of mobile applications in August by issuing a new rule requiring all app stores and app developers to submit an "app filing" with the regulators that contains information about their businesses.

Chinese regulators last week released names of the first batch of mobile app stores that completed app filings last week, but Apple's App Store was not on the list.

Apple has not responded to a request for comment.

Impact on the accessibility of apps

The accessibility of hundreds of thousands of apps on Apple's App Store in China, including well-known international apps like X, formerly known as Twitter, and Telegram, which gained popularity during protests over COVID-19 lockdowns last year, may depend on Apple's compliance status.

As Beijing places a greater emphasis on security, Apple is also having issues in China, as evidenced by some government organisations forbidding staff from using iPhones, as Reuters reported last month.

Rich Bishop, CEO of app publishing firm AppInChina, said demanding ICP filings from developers brings Apple one step closer to being fully compliant in China.

What developers and users have to say

Many developers have expressed their concerns about Apple's move on social media, fearing that the company may impose stricter rules to fully adhere to China's regulations.

Several iPhone users from China have reported on X that they might need to switch to Apple accounts from other countries to use their favourite apps.

Under the new rule, apps without proper filings will be penalized after the grace period, which will end in March next year, while newly built apps must comply with the law from September.

(With inputs from agencies)

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