Telegram’s board has never hesitated to express its stance on measures that put its business at risk. They have criticized Apple’s App Store policies in the past, but this time the Telegram founder supported the idea of ​​Apple attacking China in favor of Android.

The comments by Telegram founder and current CEO Pavel Durov come a week after the Chinese government forced Apple to remove Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in China, citing national security concerns.

Telegram once again criticized App Store policies

Addressing the situation, Durov used the Telegram channel to emphasize that the target of this decision was not Telegram:

According to Google Play, Telegram is the most downloaded mobile application on Android in China. Accessing Telegram requires a VPN in China, but the Chinese are smart: They love Telegram and find a way to use it.

Later in the same post, he confirmed that Telegram downloads were not affected and added:

This was a move against Apple itself: Chinese authorities are pushing more and more citizens to switch from iPhones to Android smartphones made by Chinese companies like Xiaomi.

Although Durov tried to focus the situation on Apple and not the Chinese government’s suspicions about the removed messaging applications, some of his statements are not true.

Although Telegram claims to be the most downloaded mobile app in China, they are not available on the Google Play Store or any Android app store in China. Chinese users need to use VPN to connect to such services.

However, the Telegram CEO insisted that the situation was due to Apple’s policies:

Apple has once again shot itself in the foot with its centralized “walled garden” enforcement policies. As a result of this change, iPhone’s market share in China will continue to shrink. Prioritizing profit over user freedom is not a good long-term strategy.

According to a post on 9to5mac, the App Store was the last to remove these apps.

Regarding the decision, Apple announced that it had to comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates.

Apple’s tense moment in China

According to Counterpoint Research, which analyzes the smartphone market, various reports claim that iPhone sales in China fell 24% compared to the previous year. Sales of Huawei, one of Apple’s former Chinese rivals, increased by 64%.

For many analysts, the reasons that give rise to this scenario lie in the increasing tensions between the USA and China over trade and technology. Without significant easing of geopolitical tensions, it will be difficult for Apple to regain stability in its most important market after the United States.