Apple’s chief executive officer looks at the conversation about mental health during a spouse program on the final day of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week at Apple Park in San Francisco, California, November 17, 2023. (CEO) Tim Cook.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Apple announced Friday that it has removed several messaging apps, including Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads, from China’s App Store following a removal order from the Chinese government citing security concerns.
The move further escalates tensions between the United States and China over technology and other policies. In recent days, Congress has sought to quickly introduce legislation to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social media app. The House could vote on the new bill as soon as Saturday, and US President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk.
“We are obligated to abide by the laws of the countries in which we operate, even if we disagree,” Apple said in a statement. “The Cyberspace Administration of China has ordered these apps to be removed from Chinese storefronts based on national security concerns.”
Other messaging platforms such as Signal and Telegram have also been removed from China’s App Store.
The logos of social networks Threads, WhatsApp and Facebook appear on a computer in L’Aquila, Italy, July 6, 2023.
Null Photo | Getty Images
Tensions between the two countries have prompted Apple to diversify its supply chain outside of China. The company is also expanding its manufacturing operations in other countries such as India and Vietnam.
China has a long history of restricting access to content from the United States online, although some platforms such as WhatsApp and Threads have previously been allowed through Apple’s App Store. Although these platforms are not as popular with Chinese users as other platforms such as WeChat, their removal will reduce the number of ways to communicate with people outside the country.
Mehta directed CNBC to Apple for comment. Signal and Telegram did not respond to requests for comment.
