Apple Takes Down WhatsApp and Threads from Chinese App Store Due to Government Directive

Apple has recently pulled both WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China following instructions from the Chinese government, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This action aligns with China’s longstanding practice of restricting access to various Western apps, with platforms such as Gmail, YouTube, Snapchat, and Spotify also facing censorship.

According to China’s top internet regulator, the decision to remove these apps was motivated by national security concerns. An Apple spokesperson expressed the company’s commitment to complying with local laws, stating, “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree.”

This isn’t the first time WhatsApp has faced restrictions in China; the app has been blocked since 2017, and its parent company Meta (formerly known as Facebook) has been banned since 2009. Despite these bans, some Chinese users have managed to access these platforms through virtual private networks, though the app store removal might hinder such efforts.

The significance of the Chinese market to Apple is underscored by the frequent visits by CEO Tim Cook, including a recent trip to open a new store in Shanghai and meet with top policymakers. This visit coincided with a noticeable dip in iPhone sales earlier in the year. Additionally, January saw Chinese chipmakers advancing plans to bolster local smartphone manufacturing capabilities, which could impact Apple, especially given existing tight export restrictions.

These developments come amid ongoing debates in the U.S. over the potential ban of TikTok, another popular Chinese-owned app, due to concerns over data privacy and political influence. The proposed legislation would prohibit major U.S. app stores, like those operated by Apple and Google, from offering TikTok, and would extend to banning U.S. websites from hosting the app.