Apple forced to pull Meta’s WhatsApp, Threads from China’s app store

BEIJING: iPhone users in China are facing restrictions as several popular messaging and social media apps have been removed from the official App Store following orders from the Chinese government.

On Friday, Apple complied with the government’s directive to remove Meta’s messaging app WhatsApp and its social media platform Threads from the App Store in China. Additionally, Signal and Telegram messaging apps were also forced to be removed.

An Apple spokesperson acknowledged the situation, stating, “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” in a statement provided to the Wall Street Journal.

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China’s ongoing efforts to regulate internet content are not unprecedented. However, the timing of the recent ban, particularly targeting Meta’s apps, is notable. Meanwhile, the US government is in the process of restricting the popular social video app TikTok, which has connections to China through its parent company Bytedance.

The Chinese government has historically targeted messaging platforms like these four apps, often due to concerns over their potential use in organising protests and social movements against the government. Unlike on China-based social media platforms, where the government exercises control, platforms like Threads or Telegram enable the dissemination of stories critical of the Chinese government and its officials.

Given that China is Apple’s second largest market and the iPhone’s popularity in the country, these bans will have significant repercussions. However, many Chinese citizens are familiar with government restrictions and have devised ways to circumvent them, often through the use of VPNs and other methods.