Some may have predicted it, but now it happened: the chinese government banned Monal from the chinese appstore.
Below is the complete email we got from Apple regarding this ban. We got that mail twice, once on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:46:18 +0100
and a second time on Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:01:19 +0100.
The macOS version of Monal is still available in the appstore and with homebrew, though.
Here is the full mail, a translation of the CAC articles can be found over here for reference.
Hello,
We are writing to notify you that your application, per demand from the CAC (Cyberspace Administration of China), will be removed from the China App Store because it includes content that is illegal in China, which is not in compliance with the App Review Guidelines:
- Legal Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where you make them available (if you’re not sure, check with a lawyer). We know this stuff is complicated, but it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your app conforms with all local laws, not just the guidelines below. And of course, apps that solicit, promote, or encourage criminal or clearly reckless behavior will be rejected.
According to the CAC, your app violates Articles 3 of the Provisions on the Security Assessment of Internet-based Information Services with Attribute of Public Opinions or Capable of Social Mobilization (具有舆论属性或社会动员能力的互联网信息服务安全评估规定).
If you need additional information regarding this removal or the laws and requirements in China, we encourage you to reach out directly to the CAC (Cyberspace Administration of China).
While your app has been removed from the China App Store, it is still available in the App Stores for the other territories you selected in App Store Connect. The TestFlight version of this app will also be unavailable for external and internal testing in China and all public TestFlight links will no longer be functional.
Best regards,
App Review