Apple Finally Explains: Why iTorrent Was Removed

The recent media spotlight on the issue prompted Apple to finally provide an explanation for the removal of the notarization of the iTorrent application on the AltStore PAL, an alternative app store operating within the European Union. Apple communicated its stance through a brief statement to 9To5Mac, stating: “The notarization of this application was removed in order to comply with current governmental sanction regulations in various jurisdictions. The developer has been informed.” However, the specifics of the sanctions, the reasons behind them, or the jurisdictions involved were not disclosed.

Control over App Notarization

Despite Apple having no say in the type of applications distributed outside of its App Store in alternative marketplaces in Europe, which has been the case since the Digital Markets Act (DMA) was implemented last year, it maintains control over the notarization process that approves apps for publication. This enables Apple to block apps, for instance due to security concerns or legal issues. This was the case with iTorrent, a BitTorrent client, which had its notarization revoked in July without any explanation provided by Apple for several weeks.