Apple announced on Friday that it had taken down Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China following a directive from the Chinese government, citing concerns about national security. Telegram and Signal, two other foreign messaging apps, were also removed from the store on the same day, according to app tracking firms Qimai and AppMagic.
The removal of these apps indicates a growing intolerance from China’s central government toward certain foreign online messaging services that fall outside its control, and it suggests less flexibility for Apple in China. However, other Meta apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger remained available for download, as did many other popular apps developed by Western companies like YouTube.
While it wasn’t immediately clear how WhatsApp or Threads might have raised security concerns for Chinese authorities, Apple stated in an email that the Cyberspace Administration of China had ordered the removal of these apps due to national security concerns. Apple emphasized its obligation to comply with local laws, even when there are disagreements.
Meta declined to comment on the matter and directed inquiries to Apple. Apple did not respond to requests for comment regarding Signal and Telegram, and representatives for the two companies also did not immediately respond.
The Cyberspace Administration of China did not provide an immediate comment on the situation. Although none of the four apps are widely used in China, where Tencent’s WeChat dominates, they remain available in Hong Kong and Macau.
Some experts in China’s tech industry speculate that the government’s order on WhatsApp and Threads could be linked to a new rule implemented in August, requiring all apps available in China to register with the government or risk removal. The deadline for registration was the end of March, with the regulations taking effect on April 1.
Apple has previously removed apps from its China App Store, including The New York Times news app in 2017 due to local regulations, and various ChatGPT-like apps last year amid Beijing’s development of local regulations on generative artificial intelligence (AI) services. The Wall Street Journal first reported the removal of WhatsApp and Threads from the China App Store.
