American multinational corporation and technology company, Apple, has revealed that it has been ordered to remove WhatsApp and Threads from the China App Store.
Wall Street Journal and New York Times reports cite Apple as saying that it removed the apps from the store in order to abide with directives from China’s Cyberspace Administration.
According to the tech company, the Chinese internet regulator ordered the removal of the apps “based on [its] national security concerns.” It explained to the publications that it’s “obligated to follow the laws in the countries where [it operates], even when [it disagrees].”
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The withdrawal of the apps indicates a rising intolerance against some international online messaging services that are not under Chinese control on the part of China’s central government. Less wiggle room for Apple in China is also indicated.
The Chinese regulator’s directive is issued just before the American Senate is scheduled to vote on a controversial bill that would result in the US banning TikTok.
The Cyberspace Administration’s justification, citing the applications as a national security risk, is similar to the one put up by US politicians to prohibit TikTok within their borders.
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