Apple Pulls WhatsApp, Threads From China App Store

Apple has removed Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China after being ordered to do so by the Chinese government, citing national security concerns, as reported by Josh Ye and Mrinmay Dey for CNN.

China implemented a new rule last August requiring all apps available in China to register with the government or risk removal. I Photo: Marc vand er Chijs Flickr

Other Meta apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, remain available, according to Reuters checks on Friday morning. Many other popular apps developed by Western companies, including YouTube and X, were also available for download.

It was not immediately clear how WhatsApp or Threads might have raised security concerns for Chinese authorities.

"The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns," Apple said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree," the statement said.

Some experts on China's tech industry suggested the government order on WhatsApp and Threads could be related to a new rule implemented last August, requiring all apps available in China to register with the government or risk removal.