Why is Apple continuing to remove game apps from the Chinese App Store?

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has removed thousands of game apps from the App Store. It seems that the reason why apps are deleted from the App Store is 'to crack down on unlicensed game apps in China', and it is suggested that the deleted apps may extend beyond game apps.

Apple's China App Store Sheds Videogames as Beijing Tightens Internet Control --WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-china-app-store-sheds-games-under-pressure-11608719400

Apple continues purging games from China App Store as it enforces new licensing requirements --9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/23/apple-app-store-china-games/

This isn't the first time Apple has removed a game app from the App Store to comply with Chinese regulations. On August 1, 2020, we removed paid game apps that do not meet China's regulatory requirements and game apps with billing factors from the App Store in China . The number of game apps deleted at this time exceeded 30,000, which is said to be 90% of the distributed game apps.

For the same reason, the game app has been removed from the Chinese App Store again. At the time of deletion, Apple seems to have notified the app developer in December 2020 that 'paid games and games with in-app purchases must submit a government license certificate by December 31st.'

The reason why paid games and games with a paying factor are removed from the Chinese App Store comes from the Chinese regulation that 'the game must be licensed before the app is released'. Until now, developers have been able to circumvent this regulatory requirement by releasing apps in the Chinese App Store as 'waiting for approval after applying for a license', but Apple has a policy The change closed this loophole, so the app was removed.

All iOS apps are more likely to be locked out of China-GIGAZINE

According to The Wall Street Journal, the China Cyberspace Administration is requesting the removal of popular apps such as ' TripAdvisor ' as well as game apps. It seems that the number of apps requested to be deleted exceeds 100, but the government authorities do not seem to explain in detail the reason for requesting deletion.

In response to the report, an Apple spokeswoman said, 'Apple has scrutinized and often disputed and opposed every request for removal from government authorities. The final decision goes against our wishes. Sometimes, we believe that staying in China and providing access to apps that promote self-expression with world-class privacy protection is the best way to serve our customers. ' He says.

The Wall Street Journal reports that due to pressure from the Chinese government, Apple has removed 272,000 game apps from the Chinese App Store in 2019 and at least 94,000 in 2020. ..