Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple Bans Iran from the App Store (bleepingcomputer.com)

Posted by msmash on from the closer-look dept.

Iranian users have not been able to access Apple's App Store all day today, in what appears to be a ban put in place by the US company. From a report: According to reports and sources who spoke with Bleeping Computer, the ban appears to have been put in place earlier today, around noon, GMT. Users were not able to connect to the Apple App Store to install or update applications. When visiting the App Store, they were instead greeted with the message "The App Store is unavailable in the country or region you're in." This ban appears to be IP-based. Meysam Firouzi -- an Iranian security researcher -- told Bleeping Computer that he successfully connected to the App Store while using a VPN, despite having Iran-related details set on his account.

33 of 58 comments (clear)

  1. Crap! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Just when I wanted to install Iran on my iphone.

    1. Re: Crap! by fortfive · · Score: 1

      You canâ(TM) Afford the in app purchases anyway.

  2. Not first post by FormOfActionBanana · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think this is kind of standard for businesses that have a stake in the United States. Tech companies I have worked for have restrictions from making sales to Iran or North Korea. Isn't there an embargo? It changes almost every year it seems.

    Question from me is, how did Apple EVER be able to make sales to Iran?

    --
    Take off every 'sig' !!
    1. Re:Not first post by n329619 · · Score: 1

      Question from me is, how did Apple EVER be able to make sales to Iran?

      1. Go to Ebay or whatever online store
      2. Buy iPhone and Ship to Iran / somewhere close to Iran
      3. Collect iPhone and Go back to Iran
      4. ????
      5. iPhone in Iran

    2. Re:Not first post by jrumney · · Score: 1

      Question from me is, how did Apple EVER be able to make sales to Iran?

      Under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (20 July 2015) the sanctions on Iran were partially lifted. The US has its own sanctions which remained in place, but as a company registered as tax resident in Jersey, I guess Apple thought they could avoid that. But under the current US regime they are having second thoughts.

    3. Re:Not first post by shahab78 · · Score: 1

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... Sanctions are against the government not the people. no where does it mention you can't sell goods to people from Iran, you couldn't do business with Iranian government, which by the way some of it was lifted in 2015 (Boeing selling airplanes to Iran is one example of US companies doing business with Iran). These are just voluntarily douchey moves by companies which usually happens when they are trying to score some points with the government for other purposes.

  3. Enough! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    youâ(TM)re

    Look, I don't like the idea of a website like Slashdot banning anyone, because for the most part the moderation system works and it's entertaining to see what people have to say. And that has nothing to do with the fact that my own incredibly high karma has made me the most beloved Slashdot commenter four years in a row.

    But for chrissake, can we please block anyone who posts shit that looks like this? I don't even want to know how come your apostrophes end up looking like your cat sat on your keyboard. Knock it the fuck off.

    youâ(TM)re

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Enough! by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 1

      I don't even want to know how come your apostrophes end up looking like your cat sat on your keyboard. Knock it the fuck off.

      youâ(TM)re

      I've found that when I post from my phone that's what comes up. Frustrating, but hardly the fault of the user.

      --
      Do you have ESP?
    2. Re:Enough! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The problem is with slashdot not with the poster.

    3. Re:Enough! by SvnLyrBrto · · Score: 2

      Seriously. Smartphones with full-up web browsers have been around over a decade. And unicode has been a thing for just HOW long now? I'd be embarrassed to be a Slashdot developer... or staffer of any kind... what with 1990s-esque deficiencies like this. It make me wonder, just where Slashdot spends its income. They're certainly not spending their money on writing, editorial, or operations staff. And I guess not on developers (or good developers anyway) either.

      --
      Imagine all the people...
    4. Re:Enough! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      The problem is with slashdot not with the poster.

      Then why am I able to post 'all ' the ' fucking ' apostrophes ' I want without making a mess of it?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    5. Re:Enough! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      alas

      I love it when the ACs start to speak in poesy.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    6. Re:Enough! by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      Yes, for over a decade. Why is Apple unleashing this crap only in recent times?

    7. Re:Enough! by sheramil · · Score: 1

      If 4chan can wordfilter any of the digits between 0 and 9 to "OVER 9000", then surely slashdot can wordfilter "â(TM)" to an apostrophe. it's not rocket science, people. it doesn't need hydrazine.

    8. Re:Enough! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      1. This not recent. It's been a problem here for years.
      2. It's not just Apple. It happens with many Android phones.
      3. It's neither Apple's not Google's fault. Go to just about any other site and you won't see this. The blame is purely with slashdot and janky AF codebase that they don't seem to want to be bothered to keep up to date.

    9. Re:Enough! by Goragoth · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What baffles me the most is the fact that we know that there is a unicode whitelist. I get that allowing all of unicode causes all sorts of issues, but why is it so hard to add the few smart quotes to the whitelist? That alone would solve most of the problems. If you then add like maybe 5-10 other common used unicode characters to the list and it would probably fix 99% of the remaining problems. Is it really that hard?

    10. Re:Enough! by youngone · · Score: 1

      Sigh. This used to be a technical site.

      Ha ha, that's exactly what thought.
      Now explain to him why can can browse to slashdot.org and doesn't have to remember IP addresses.
      Subnets might be pushing it though.

    11. Re: Enough! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Clearly you arenâ(TM)t using an iPad screen keyboard.

      Clearly.

      because my iPad weighs a fraction of what my laptop weighs and itâ(TM)s extremely convenient to consume all my news this way

      Brother, don't debase yourself for convenience. Have some standards.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    12. Re:Enough! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      You are confusing an apostrophe with a single quote character....Sigh. This used to be a technical site.

      And we used to roast pedants around here too.

      Sadly, standards are slipping.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    13. Re:Enough! by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      You are confusing an apostrophe with a single quote character....Sigh. This used to be a technical site.

      And we used to roast pedants around here too.

      Sadly, standards are slipping.

      That's ok. He was being pernickety. I'm being the pedant in this post.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    14. Re:Enough! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      That's ok. He was being pernickety. I'm being the pedant in this post.

      Yeah, but you do it with panache. Or is it grenache? It's one of those, I'm pretty sure.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    15. Re:Enough! by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Back in the '80s -- no, earlier, in the '70s -- you'd hardly find someone like you. Everyone was interested in everything.

      lol. No.

      Complete bollocks.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    16. Re:Enough! by houghi · · Score: 1

      In Perl? We are lucky that we are able to use the letter 'e'.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    17. Re:Enough! by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      That's ok. He was being pernickety. I'm being the pedant in this post.

      Yeah, but you do it with panache. Or is it grenache? It's one of those, I'm pretty sure.

      Down int' these parts we call it cranberry juice.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  4. They might ban iRan by tonywong · · Score: 3, Funny

    But they'll never ban iRack.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjLEwZqcQI

  5. America First! by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

    But how about Iran before Iraq?

  6. Re:That explains it by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    The iRan sneakers are now part of the iRack iproduct range.
    Buy the iRack shelf system and the iRan sneakers are included in the box.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  7. Embargo by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    I am surprised Apple did business in Iran before. I thought there was an US embargo on Iran that prevented it.

    1. Re:Embargo by behrooz0az · · Score: 1

      Nah, we have the latest and greatest even before average joe does in the US.
      It's just 10 to 20% more expensive most of the times.
      Some dev kits and stuff are more expensive though.

      --
      Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion. -- Spazmania (174582)
    2. Re:Embargo by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      We've got some pretty good ghormez sabzi in the states. The tech is awful though.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  8. I love meeting the enemy by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

    People who our governments say are our enemy, Chinese, Iranians, Russians. You know... and you know what, they are just like us, BUT now we get to talk to them... and maybe even make a friend or 2.... :)

    --
    [($)]
    1. Re:I love meeting the enemy by stooo · · Score: 1

      yeah, but it seems you won't be able to talk to them via your eyephone.
      Take a samsung instead.

      --
      aaaaaaa
  9. Samasung by stooo · · Score: 1

    Buy Samsung

    --
    aaaaaaa