US media reported on April 19 that Apple has removed two social networking applications WhatsApp and Threads, both owned by Meta, from the App Store in China.
According to Bloomberg, Apple made this move at the request of China's internet regulator. Apple's announcement also emphasized that the company "must comply with the laws in the countries where Apple operates."
Apple said China’s cyberspace regulator had asked Apple to remove the apps from its Chinese app store due to national security concerns. However, Apple said WhatsApp and Threads remain available in app stores in other countries.
Meta, China's cyberspace regulator, and the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have yet to comment on the information.