Why Was "Very Real" Removed from Apple s China Store

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People News - Recently, a social media app called "Very Real," developed by a Chinese-American software engineer in California, was suddenly removed from Apple's China App Store. What lies behind this removal?

According to a report by Radio Free Asia, "Very Real," a social media app, was launched on the market in January last year. Neo, the app's developer and a Chinese-American from California's Bay Area, described it as a "freedom-based WeChat": “Essentially, it combines the functionalities of WeChat and Weibo with conferencing features. It includes instant messaging, group chats, and Moments. You can also post public Moments, similar to Twitter or Weibo, and it supports massive group chats of up to 100,000 people and online video conferences for 1,000 participants.”

Developers Received Notification of Removal

Neo stated that the app underwent over a year of development before being released, and it was accessible to the Chinese market: “For the past year, we primarily conducted small-scale testing. Only in the past two months did we see an explosion in user growth, with the app now reaching around one million users. We always thought it was possible that we would be taken down, as we didn’t go through China’s official filing process for the mainland Apple Store.”

On January 14, the team discovered through Apple's developer platform a notification from Apple stating that their app had been removed from the China App Store. Neo explained: “Once we started gaining influence, not only did this day arrive, but Apple explicitly and bluntly cited the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)’s reasons in the email, stating that our app has 'social mobilization capabilities.'”

The notification sent by Apple to the "Very Real" development team stated: “At the request of China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC), your app will be removed from the China App Store because it contains content that is illegal in China and does not comply with Apple’s review guidelines.”

The notification further specified: “Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any locations where you make them available. According to China’s Cyberspace Administration, your app violates Article 3 of the Regulations on the Security Assessment of Internet Information Services with Public Opinion Attributes or Social Mobilization Capabilities.”

The notification included the original Chinese text of the cited regulation. Neo commented: “This is the first time we’ve seen Chinese characters in a notification from Apple, and they were distinctly ‘China-specific’ characters. We were quite surprised.”

The regulation referenced by Apple, issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, came into effect in November 2018. Article 3 of the regulation stipulates: “Internet information service providers must conduct self-assessments and be responsible for the results under the following circumstances:

  1. Launching or enhancing information services with public opinion attributes or social mobilization capabilities;
  2. Introducing new technologies or applications that significantly change the functional attributes, technical implementation methods, or resource allocation of information services, leading to major changes in public opinion attributes or social mobilization capabilities;
  3. Experiencing a significant increase in user scale that alters the public opinion attributes or social mobilization capabilities of information services;
  4. When illegal or harmful information dissemination occurs, indicating existing security measures cannot effectively control cybersecurity risks;
  5. Receiving written notice from municipal or higher-level CAC departments or public security agencies requiring a security assessment.”

Journalists contacted Apple and the Cyberspace Administration of China for further details about the incident. However, as of publication, no response had been received.

Apple’s notification to the "Very Real" development team also included this message: “If you need further information about this removal or Chinese laws and requirements, we suggest you directly contact the Cyberspace Administration of China.”

"Freedom of Speech Should Be a Basic Human Right"

The "Very Real" app development team is registered as a company in the United States. Neo, the app's developer, shared his thoughts on the takedown incident: “It’s astonishing how blatant and undisguised this is. The message is clear: the ability to mobilize society is a privilege reserved for the Chinese Communist Party. No grassroots group, no matter what country’s company, is allowed to have this right. You’ve infringed upon my privilege, so I’m taking you down.”

Felix, the co-founder of the "Very Real" app, emphasized the team's core philosophy: “Our core belief is that freedom of speech should be a basic human right. We firmly believe that Chinese people and the global Chinese community should have a space to express their own views and opinions without distorting their thoughts or expressions out of fear or external pressure.”

Zhou Fengsuo, a leader of the 1989 pro-democracy movement who has been following this issue, pointed out that Chinese people's social spaces—both online and offline—are currently under strict control by the Chinese authorities: “This is precisely why they (the Chinese authorities) fear this app: its social mobilization capabilities. In reality, this is something we need greatly in a free society. There’s a growing trend, even for many offline activities overseas, where Chinese people want to freely discuss the issues we care about.”