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 […]
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...
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
The removal of these foreign platforms—which were already largely inaccessible in China—will make it more difficult for users to circumvent existing restrictions, such as by using VPNs.
The decision follows a mandate from government authorities.
Company says Chinese government ordered it to remove two Meta-owned apps for ‘national security’ reasonsApple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from its Chinese App Store after the Chinese government ordered it to do so for “national security” reasons.Apple confirmed it had withdrawn the two apps – both owned by Meta, also the owner of Facebook – under instruction from the Cyberspace Administration of China, which regulates and censors China’s highly restricted internet and online content....
Apple said it had removed Meta’s WhatsApp messaging app and its Threads social media app from the App Store in China to comply with orders from Chinese authorities. The apps were removed from the store on Friday after Chinese officials cited unspecified national security concerns. Their removal comes amid elevated tensions between the U.S. and […]
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...
(Reuters) -Apple said on Friday it had removed Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China after being ordered to do so by the Chinese government, which cited national security concerns. Many other popular apps developed by Western companies including YouTube and X were also available for download. It was not immediately clear how WhatsApp or Threads might have caused security concerns for Chinese authorities.
EU antitrust regulators are checking if an Apple proposal would comply with their order to let Spotify and other music streaming services inform users of payment options outside its App Store, the European Commission said on Monday. The iPhone maker risks antitrust charges and fresh fines if its proposal announced last Friday fails to satisfy the EU competition enforcer, which issued its order together with a 1.84 billion euro ($2 billion) fine last month Under Apple's proposal, the Swedish...
EU antitrust regulators are checking to see if an Apple proposal would comply with their order to let Spotify and other music streaming services inform users of payment options outside its App Store, the European Commission said on Monday. The iPhone maker risks antitrust charges and fresh fines if its proposal announced last Friday fails to satisfy the EU competition enforcer, which issued its order together with a 1.84 billion euro ($2 billion) fine last month Under Apple's proposal, the...
Apple on late Thursday into Friday removed the popular messaging and social media apps WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Threads from its App Store in China at the request of the Chinese government, The Wall Street Journal reported. In a statement shared with several media outlets, Apple said China's national internet regulator ordered the removal of the apps from the App Store in the country due to unspecified "national security concerns." Apple said it is "obligated to follow the laws in...