US tech giant Apple announced today, that it was forced to remove numerous popular messaging apps from its AppStore in China following a demand from Beijing government alleging national security threats.
According to the latest reports, Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads apps, along with messaging services Telegram and Signal, are currently not available for download at the AppStore in China. Apparently, Chinese users also no longer have access to Korean Line.
According to Apple’s statement, China’s Cyberspace Administration had asked for the removal of instant messaging apps from the App Store due to “national security” concerns. The American technology company stated that it is required to adhere to the regulations of the countries where it conducts business, regardless of its own opinions. However, Apple emphasized that these apps are still accessible on other platforms.
The four deleted applications are still accessible in China’s two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, according to latest reports.
Additional Meta applications like Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger remain accessible for download at the AppStore in China. Nevertheless, similar to the situation with the blocked messaging applications, gaining entry to these services without specific proxy solutions like a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass Beijing’s Great Firewall is quite challenging for local users.
The exact motives behind the request to eliminate the applications are still undisclosed, but it is possible that this action is connected to a legislation enacted in China in the previous year. This law mandates that all applications functioning within the country must undergo registration with the local regulatory authority. In August, Chinese authorities urged foreign developers to comply with this regulation by the conclusion of March 2024, or else face the obligation of removing their applications from the marketplace.
