Apple removes WhatsApp, Threads from China app store on government order


by ETtech.com

ETtech.com— Apple removed Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on Friday after the iPhone maker was ordered by the Chinese government. The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns, Apple said in an emailed statement to Reuters. We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree. The iPhone maker said the apps remain available for download...

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP—Apple removes WhatsApp, Threads from App Store in China on government orders. Apple has removed Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on orders from the country’s internet regulator, US media reported Friday. Mainland China has some of the world’s most extensive internet censorship, with web users unable to access everything from Google to many foreign apps without workarounds such as a virtual private […]

TechSpot—Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in China following government order. The four apps are some of the many Western services and products already blocked by China's Great Firewall, but users can bypass these restrictions using VPNs. Reuters writes that other Meta apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, were still available on the App Store in China, as were other WesternRead Entire Article

Engadget—Apple says it was ordered to remove WhatsApp and Threads from China App Store. Apple users in China won't be able to find and download WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store anymore, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The company said it pulled the apps from the store to comply with orders it received from Cyberspace Administration, China's internet regulator, "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]." The...