Apple has confirmed that it has taken down the Meta-owned applications WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China. This action was taken in response to an order from the Chinese government, which expressed concerns about national security.
Photo of WhatsApp
Despite this, other Meta applications such as Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram are still accessible. Other popular American social media applications like YouTube and X (previously known as Twitter) are also available.
Apple revealed that the order to remove these apps from the China storefront came from the Cyberspace Administration of China. Apple added, “We are bound by the laws of the countries in which we operate, even if we disagree with them.”
Meta chose not to comment on the matter and referred to Apple’s statement. The Cyberspace Administration did not respond to a request for comment.
Apple mentioned that WhatsApp and Threads can still be downloaded through different storefronts, and some individuals who have an account outside of China are able to download the apps. source also read
Industry experts in China suggest that the government’s order to remove WhatsApp and Threads could be linked to a 2023 regulation that mandates all apps available in China to register with the government. Companies were given until the end of the previous month to complete their registrations, with the regulations taking effect on April 1.
This is not the first instance of Apple having to remove apps from its store in China. The New York Times news app has been inaccessible since 2017, and apps similar to ChatGPT were removed in 2023 following Beijing’s implementation of regulations on generative AI services.