Apple has deleted Threads and WhatsApp from its Chinese app store in response to a directive from the nation’s internet watchdog, which raised issues related to national security.
An Apple representative told CNN on Friday, “We are required to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree.”
Because of their potential threats to national security, the Chinese Cyberspace Administration issued an order to remove these apps from the China marketplace. These applications can still be downloaded from all other stores where they are shown.
Both of the Meta-owned apps were not extensively utilized and were previously restricted in China.
However, according to Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based investment consultant BDA China, Apple’s (AAPL) decision to remove them signifies a “further distancing between already separated tech universes” in the nation and abroad.
“It will be inconvenient for Chinese consumers and businesses that do business with friends, family, or clients abroad. They will eventually need to be updated, he said, even if they use VPNs to access their current WhatsApp apps.
Virtual private networks, or VPNs, are able to mask a user’s online identity and encrypt internet traffic. In China, they are frequently used to access content that is restricted within the nation.
CNN checked and found that other widely used Western social media applications, such as X (previously Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, are still accessible in Apple’s China app store.
