Apple has removed four apps from its regional China App Store, including WhatsApp and Meta’s Threads after Beijing ordered it to do so for security reasons.
The Chinese government also ordered the removal of Telegram and Signal, making it clear that the directive was aimed at communications apps in particular. Except for Threads, all of the apps feature powerful encryption technologies, which may have irritated the Middle Kingdom, as encryption makes it much more difficult for it to monitor its citizens.
Strikingly, the ban comes shortly after the China-based social media app TikTok received intense scrutiny in the US and EU. Congress is on track to ban TikTok entirely, while the EU is investigating the new TikTok Lite app launched earlier this month. It is possible that banning Western apps is a form of retaliation.
However, the exact timing could be a coincidence and the root cause could be related to a law China introduced in August requiring developers to register with the government, according to Keynote USA. The deadline to register was the end of March and on April 1 the law went into effect.
China isn’t trying to crack down on all foreign messaging apps, at least not yet. Meta’s other apps, including Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram (with which Threads is intertwined), are still available, as are X and YouTube, Keynote USA says.
Apple was not particularly happy with the order. “We are required to follow the laws of the countries where we operate, even when we do not agree,” the company said in a statement.
The removal has not taken effect everywhere in China, as the four apps are still available in Hong Kong and Macau, which are not fully integrated into China due to their special “one country, two systems” status.
Keynote USA News
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