On Friday, Apple (AAPL.O) announced it had removed Meta Platforms’ (META.O) WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese App Store. The Chinese government cited national security concerns as the reason for this action.
Checks by Reuters on Friday morning revealed that other Meta apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, were still accessible. You could download a ton of other well-known apps made by Western firms, like YouTube and X.
It was not immediately apparent how Chinese officials would have been concerned about security in relation to WhatsApp or Threads.
Apple sent a comment to Reuters via email stating that “the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns.”
“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” the statement continued.
Meta declined to comment and referred queries to Apple.
An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Chinese Cyberspace Administration.
The manufacturer of iPhones indicated that Threads and WhatsApp may still be downloaded from its other stores. If they have an iCloud account there, tech-savvy Chinese customers can download the apps from Apple’s App Stores abroad.
According to some experts in China’s internet sector, the government order on WhatsApp and Threads might be linked to a new regulation implemented in August last year. This regulation mandates that all apps available in the country register with the government or face removal.
The restrictions went into force on April 1st, and companies had until the end of March to complete their registrations.
Apple has previously taken apps out of its China app store.
As press censorship in the second-largest economy in the world increased, Apple withdrew The New York Times news app in 2017 on the grounds that it broke local laws. It’s still not available in the China App Store for Apple.
Apple removed several ChatGPT-like apps from the App Store last year while Beijing was developing local laws pertaining to generative AI services.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on WhatsApp and Threads being pulled from the China App Store.
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