Removal of "WhatsApp" and "Threads" from Apple's Store in China

Following orders from Beijing, Apple has removed the "WhatsApp" and "Threads" applications from its app store in China due to "concerns related to Chinese national security." A spokesperson for Apple told CNN: "We are committed to complying with the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree." The spokesperson added, "The Chinese Cyber Administration ordered the removal of these applications from the store in China based on national security concerns. These applications remain available for download on all app stores in other countries." It is worth noting that the two applications owned by Meta were already banned in China and were not widely used. With the decision to remove them from the app stores, 2024 officially marks the end of "WhatsApp" in China. Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based investment consulting firm PDA China, told CNN that the removal of the apps by Apple represents "an expansion of the distance between the separate technology worlds in China and the Western world."