Apple’s new privacy feature can not be available in China

Apple’s new feature that gives users more privacy while browsing the web will not be available in China, one of the most important markets.

On Monday, Apple revealed iCloud+, a new service, at its Worldwide Developers Conference. One of the features included is “Private Relay.”

When people browse the internet using Safari, two separate servers receive their data to mask user’s identity and visiting sites. As a result, Apple and the user’s network provider are not able to see that data.

It looks like a VPN – a virtual private network where users can route their internet traffic through a server placed somewhere else in the world to mask their browsing activity.

China’s Great Firewall effectively gives access to authorities to block websites to hide it from access from outside of China, that includes Google and Facebook. As a result, companies often use VPNs to get around China’s strict internet controls.

An Apple spokesperson said that Private Relay could not work in China and some other countries. These include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, and Uganda.

Apple said it would not offer the feature in these countries because of local laws.

Usage of unauthorized VPNs for accessing blocked websites is considered illegal in China. Although apple’s Private Relay is not a VPN, it acts similarly.

In 2017, the U.S. tech giant decided to remove several VPN services from its China App Store. They had to do this in order to comply with local regulations.

More details on the feature

Tim Cook spoke at Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference in Cupertino, California. He announced that Apple’s new privacy feature would not be available in Saudi Arabia, China, or Belarus. Apple also would not offer “private relay” in Egypt, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, South Africa, and the Philippines due to regulatory reasons.