Apple to remove vaping apps

Apple will remove vaping apps from the App Store. According to the company, smoking such e-cigarettes is dangerous to health and it no longer wants to offer such apps. It would be 181 apps that disappear from the App Store.

Apple has previously taken action against apps related to vaping by banning new apps that promote vaping. Now all other vaping apps will be removed from the App Store, the company tells Axios. It has also been illegal to sell vaping cartridges directly from apps for some time. The apps that are now being removed are therefore mainly related to vaping indirectly. This concerns applications that, for example, bring news about the subject, games, or apps that allow users to find nearby stores where they can buy cartridges. There were also apps that users could link to their electronic cigarettes and with which, for example, the color or temperature could be controlled.

Recently, research by the US Center for Disease Control found that at least 42 people had died after vaping. Other health organizations also warn about the risks of electronic cigarettes. “We endorse and update the terms of the App Store to prohibit apps that promote or facilitate the use of these products,” Apple told Axios. “The App Store is a trusted place for customers, especially young people, to download apps.”