Apple removed WhatsApp and Threads from China’s AppStore at Beijing’s behest
By ForGeeks On Friday, Apple said it had removed WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China after being ordered to do so by the Chinese government, which cited national security concerns.
Apple said it had removed WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China.
The company’s other apps remained available, according to an audit Friday morning. Many other popular apps developed by Western companies, including YouTube and X, were also available for download.
A number of other popular apps developed by Western companies, including YouTube and X, were also available for download.
It was not immediately clear how WhatsApp or Threads might have raised security concerns from Chinese authorities.
«China’s Cyberspace Administration has ordered the removal of these apps from the Chinese storefront on national security grounds» —Apple said in a statement. «We are required to follow the laws of the countries in which we operate, even if we disagree with them», — the statement said.
Apple’s statement said.
The iPhone maker said WhatsApp and Threads are still available for download in other countries. Tech-savvy Chinese consumers can download the apps from Apple’s app stores if they have an iCloud account in other regions.
The iPhone maker said WhatsApp and Threads are still available for download in other regions.
Some experts on the Chinese tech industry believe the government’s ruling on WhatsApp and Threads may be related to a new rule passed last August that requires all apps available in China to register with government authorities or they could be removed. The deadline for companies to complete the registration was the end of March, and the rules went into effect on April 1.
The deadline for companies to complete the registration was the end of March, and the rules went into effect on April 1.
Apple has removed apps from its Chinese app store before. In 2017, Apple removed The New York Times news app, saying it violated local rules, which came amid increased news censorship in the world’s second-largest economy. It remains unavailable in Apple’s Chinese app store.
Apple’s Chinese app store is still unavailable.
Last year, Apple removed a number of ChatGPT-like apps when Beijing was drafting local rules for generative artificial intelligence (AI) services. The removal of WhatsApp and Threads from China’s App Store was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Apple’s removal of WhatsApp and Threads from China’s App Store was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
