removed by apple Citing national security concerns, we have removed Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese App Store following orders from the Chinese government.
Other meta apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger remained available Friday morning. I was also able to download many other popular apps developed by Western companies, such as YouTube and X.
It was not immediately clear how WhatsApp or Threads raised security concerns for Chinese authorities.
“The Cyberspace Administration of China has ordered the removal of these apps from Chinese store shelves based on national security concerns,” Apple said in an emailed statement. “We are obligated to abide by the laws of the countries in which we operate, even if we disagree with them.”
Mehta declined to comment and referred inquiries to Apple. The Cyberspace Administration of China did not respond to a request for comment.
The iPhone maker said WhatsApp and Threads will continue to be available for download at other stores. Tech-savvy Chinese consumers can download apps from Apple's App Store in other countries if they have an iCloud account.
Some experts in China's tech industry say the government's orders on WhatsApp and Threads may be related to new rules last August that require all apps available in China to be registered with the government. Yes, or risk being removed.
censorship
The deadline for companies to complete registration was the end of March, and the regulations came into effect on April 1.
Apple has removed apps from the Chinese app store before. In 2017, the company removed the New York Times news app for violating local regulations, a move that came amid increased news censorship in the world's second-largest economy. It remains unavailable on Apple's China App Store.
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Last year, as the Chinese government grappled with local regulations for generative artificial intelligence services, Apple shut down a number of apps similar to ChatGPT. — Josh Yeh, Mrinmay Dey, Niltpal Timsina, (c) 2024 Reuters