Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from App Store in China

Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from App Store in China.

Apple has removed WhatsApp, Threads, and other apps from the App Store in China in response to a government request.

Meta’s messaging apps, as well as other international chat services Telegram and Signal, were no longer available for download on the iPhone in the country.

Apple stated that the removal was ordered by China’s Cyberspace Administration. “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” the company stated in a statement.

Neither Chinese officials nor Apple provided any specific details about why the apps were no longer available, despite the government cited “national security concerns”. However, subsequent restrictions obliged developers to register with the government or have their programs withdrawn.

Given that the deadline of April 1st has passed, experts believe that many more apps will be removed as a result of these guidelines.

Neither of the apps is particularly popular in China. The country primarily uses WeChat, which was created by the Chinese business Tencent.

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Other meta apps, like as Facebook, were still available on the App Store. The prohibition also did not apply to other social networking apps.

Previously, Chinese consumers could download WhatsApp and other comparable applications. However, they could only use them over a virtual private network since China’s “Great Firewall” had blocked the internet provider that runs them.

Previously, Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, courted the Chinese authorities in an attempt to expand into the country. However, the company has not received official approval to operate there.

Apple has historically relied largely on China for both manufacturing and a significant number of its customers. However, in recent months, the country’s revenues have fallen.

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