The same app can pose a bigger security and privacy threat depending on the country where you download it, study finds

Same app, same app store, different risks if you download it in, say, Tunisia rather than in Germany. NurPhoto via Getty Images

Google and Apple have removed hundreds of apps from their app stores at the request of governments around the world, creating regional disparities in access to mobile apps at a time when many economies are becoming increasingly dependent on them.

The mobile phone giants have removed over 200 Chinese apps, including widely downloaded apps like TikTok, at the Indian government’s request in recent years. Similarly, the companies removed LinkedIn, an essential app for professional networking, from Russian app stores at the Russian government’s request.