Indian authorities have ordered the removal of several prominent Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications, including Cloudflare’s popular 1.1.1.1 app, from both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store in India. This marks the first major enforcement action under India’s 2022 VPN regulations.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs issued removal orders through its Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, affecting more than half a dozen VPN services. Other apps impacted by the takedown include Hide.me and PrivadoVPN, according to documents reviewed by TechCrunch.
This enforcement follows India’s 2022 regulatory framework, which requires VPN providers and cloud service operators to maintain extensive customer records. The regulations mandate the collection and storage of user data, including names, addresses, IP addresses, and transaction histories, for five years.
The new requirements have faced major resistance from industry leaders. Major VPN providers, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN, previously expressed concerns about the regulations. Several companies responded by removing their server infrastructure from India, though some continue to serve Indian customers while ceasing local marketing efforts.
Neither the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology nor the affected technology companies – Apple, Google, and Cloudflare – have provided public comment on the removal orders.
