As VPN apps started to disappear from China's iOS App Store over the weekend, users in the country were frantically downloading as many as they could.
On Saturday, Apple pulled the rug out from under Chinese iPhone users' feet, by taking down VPN apps from the App Store.
VPN apps allow people to access websites that China blocks at an ISP level. This includes popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and all of Google's services including Gmail and search.
The move means China was successful in pressuring Apple to comply with its growing stranglehold on data freedom in the country, and comes amid a broader ongoing crackdown on social media users.
"My heart is dead."
As news rippled through social media, users scrambled to download as many VPN apps as they could.
One user said on Weibo: "I've downloaded over 10 VPNs, this is my last fight."
He posted a notice from Tianxing (天行) VPN he received, which assured users that the service would work normally for those who had downloaded its app prior to the App Store ban.
Sadly, some users didn't have as much success with their VPN providers. Another user said on Monday: "I saw the news, quickly tried to access my VPN server, but it timed out three times. My heart is dead."
According to the BBC, some 60 VPN apps were pulled from the Apple store over the weekend.
How people are getting around the ban
The Chinese government can only legally pressure Apple to do its bidding on China's App Store. That means practically all of the apps that were taken down still live on for users who have foreign accounts.
For Chinese users, that means they can set up separate Apple accounts registered to another country, and still download the VPN apps.
Of course, this poses a large inconvenience, since users may have to produce other forms of verification such as a foreign credit card, or an overseas mailing address. Still, it's far from impossible.
In a statement posted on its website, ExpressVPN noted that its service continues to work on desktops and Android devices.
The company said: "We're disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding China's censorship efforts.
"ExpressVPN strongly condemns these measures, which threaten free speech and civil liberties."
Another VPN service, Star VPN, has tweeted a similar statement:
Tweet may have been deleted
A similar takedown is harder to execute on Android devices. Since the official Google Play store -- and all Google properties -- is banned in China on an ISP level, the Chinese government doesn't need to get Google to take down VPNs, since Chinese users can't access Play altogether.
Far harder to do the same thing on Android
Instead, most Chinese smartphone makers provide their own app stores. Other platforms like Baidu (China's Google) and Tencent (which makes WeChat) also offer their own Android app stores.
With some 400 separate app stores, the Chinese government would have a far harder time issuing takedown notices to each -- and more will pop up, anyway.
While this move on its own will pose an inconvenience to Apple users, it's unlikely to be the last piece of bad news for local VPN providers in China.
In January, the government said it would require all VPN makers to get a license from the government. That means any firm that doesn't comply with the government's demands gets outlawed there.
The Chinese government started exerting more pressure on data liberties in recent months. Some experts believe it's a show of force in the lead up to a huge Communist Party re-election in November, which will determine the next stable of leaders for a five-year term.
