Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese version of the App Store at the behest of the Chinese government. The government's reason for doing so is 'concerns about national security'. Messaging services Telegram and Signal have also disappeared from the platform.
“The Cyberspace Administration of China has ordered the removal of the apps from the Chinese storefront, based on its national security concerns,” Apple writes in a statement to Reuters. Other Meta apps, including Facebook and Instagram, are still available in the App Store. Furthermore, WhatsApp, Threads, Telegram and Signal can be downloaded in the Hong Kong and Macau regions. Apple says nothing further about removing Telegram and Signal. Meta did not respond to questions about the removal of its apps. Furthermore, the Cyberspace Administration has not provided an explanation.
Although no clear reason is given for the removal, several experts in the field of the Chinese tech industry suspect, according to Reuters, that the government wants to put pressure on Meta. Since August, it has been mandatory to register all apps available for the Chinese market with the government. If this does not happen, the apps will be deleted. The deadline for the new measure passed at the end of March and the Chinese authorities have been enforcing it since April 1.