AdGuard's TrustTunnel iOS client pulled from the Russian App Store

Apple has removed the TrustTunnel iOS client from the Russian App Store after a takedown request from Roskomnadzor, Russia's internet regulator. Apple's notice to AdGuard, dated 28 April 2026, said the app contained content that is illegal in Russia and cited Article 15.1 of the country's information law, which lets authorities restrict access to prohibited services.

TrustTunnel is an open-source VPN protocol that AdGuard published in January 2026. It is built to look like ordinary HTTPS traffic and resist deep-packet inspection, it powers AdGuard VPN, and the code is available on GitHub for other developers to use. The iOS client is a bare client: AdGuard's position is that without a server it does nothing, does not bypass restrictions on its own and contains no prohibited content — it is a neutral tool that depends entirely on configuration, and the same client is used for corporate VPN infrastructure and private connections.

The removal affects only the Russian App Store. The app stays available in every other region, and Android users in Russia can still install it from Google Play. Existing iOS users in Russia keep a working app but lose updates; new users need a non-Russian Apple ID or a manual build.

It is not an isolated case. In July 2024 dozens of VPN apps, including AdGuard VPN itself, were pulled from the Russian App Store in one wave, and enforcement has since widened from mainstream services to lightweight clients and proxy tools that let users connect to their own servers. Devices are reportedly being scanned for VPN apps and charges on international traffic have been discussed. VPNs remain legal in Russia but are heavily restricted.

Why it matters to affiliates. Russia is excluded from most VPN affiliate programs' accepted geos, so the direct revenue impact is nil. The story is relevant as a trust signal: an open-source, audited protocol that regulators go out of their way to block is a strong proof point in reviews aimed at privacy-focused readers, and it is a differentiator AdGuard's competitors mostly cannot claim.