China has persuaded Apple to remove some of the world's most popular messaging apps from its app store in the country.
Apple said it was ordered to remove certain apps for national security reasons, without specifying which apps. According to the WSJ, Meta's WhatsApp and Threads, as well as messaging platforms Signal, Telegram and Line, were removed from the Chinese App Store on Friday. CNN confirms that Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads, and reports that other popular Western social media apps, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, are still available in Apple's Chinese app store. Apps owned by Meta have already been blocked in China before and were not widely used. They can only be accessed in the country with a VPN.
“We are obliged to follow the laws in the countries where we work, even if we do not agree. The Cyberspace Administration of China has ordered the removal of these apps from its storefront in China citing national security concerns. These apps remain available for download on all other storefronts where they are available,” said an Apple representative.
The tech giant's announcement of concessions to the demands of the Chinese authorities comes amid a sharp drop in iPhone sales. As NV wrote, the company's figures fell by 10% in the first quarter of this year, primarily due to a drop in sales in China.