Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China to comply with a Chinese government order, per a report published by The New York Times on Friday.
Apple stated that the country’s internet regulator, Cyberspace Administration of China, had instructed the company to remove Meta apps from its App Store because of national security concerns.
It is not uncommon for China to impose bands on American apps. Popular social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram are also banned in China and WhatsApp and Threads are not used widely.
The development comes on the heels of The House of Representatives’ upcoming vote on a bill that would require the Chinese company ByteDance to either sell TikTok or potentially face a ban in the United States. TikTok is believed to pose a security threat because of its ties to China as per US lawmakers.
