Apple has removed the WhatsApp and Threads apps from its App Store in China at the instruction of the Chinese government. It was reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China made this decision due to national security concerns. Apple stated that it is required to comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates.
As reported by Sözcü citing the Wall Street Journal, WhatsApp has been blocked in China since 2017, and its parent company, Meta, has been blocked since 2009. Other Western media platforms such as Gmail, YouTube, Snapchat, and Spotify have also been censored.
These developments come amid debates in the US over banning China's popular app, TikTok. The US House of Representatives has approved a bill requiring TikTok to be sold or otherwise face a ban. If ByteDance does not sell TikTok, app stores such as Apple and Google will be unable to distribute the app.
News Source: 12punto
