Apple removes illegal gambling apps in China amid criticism: report

Apple has reportedly removed about 25,000 illegal gambling apps from its App Store in China after facing criticism from state media in the country.

Apple on Monday told The Wall Street Journal that it has “removed many apps” and developers who have created gambling apps.

“Gambling apps are illegal and not allowed on the App Store in China,” Apple said in its statement to the Journal. “We have already removed many apps and developers for trying to distribute illegal gambling apps on our App Store, and we are vigilant in our efforts to find these and stop them from being on the App Store.”

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Chinese state television CCTV reported Sunday that 25,000 apps had been removed from the App Store, according to the Journal. The Journal reported last week that CCTV and other state-controlled media outlets criticized Apple for not filtering banned content from its App Store.

“Apple itself has set up the rules on how to allow apps onto its store, but it didn’t follow that, resulting in the proliferation of bogus lottery apps and gambling apps,” CCTV said in a recent report, according to the Journal.