Last week, Apple began requiring app developers to submit an “internet content provider (ICP) profile” when they want to list new apps on the Chinese App Store. An ICP profile is a mandatory registration for websites to operate legally in the country. Apple rivals Huawei and Tencent have implemented the program since 2017.
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| iPhone apps in China require government licenses. |
China’s new rules, first announced in August 2023, require all developers to prove they have a company or are affiliated with a company registered here, a major obstacle for foreign businesses.
On September 29, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple executives had met with Chinese authorities in recent months. Officials asked the US technology company to strictly enforce its app management rules, banning unregistered foreign apps. The changes are aimed at reducing cases of online fraud, pornography and other illegal content.
More than 1,000 foreign apps that have not yet been registered on the App Store could be targeted. They need to be removed to help Apple comply with Chinese regulations. It would also have some impact on the company’s revenue, as it offers more apps than its domestic rivals.
China is Apple's third largest market, after the US and Europe, contributing $15.7 billion of the $81.8 billion in revenue in the third quarter.
Last week, Chinese authorities announced the names of the first mobile app stores to complete ICP filings, but Apple was not on the list.
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