Removal is made after the country’s Cyberspace Administration made the request citing security concerns
Apple stated this Friday (April 19, 2024) that it removed WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in China. The removal was made after the Chinese Cyberspace Administration, the body responsible for regulating the internet and combating disinformation, made the request citing concerns about the country’s security. Telegram and Signal were also removed. The information is from Reuters.
The measures are in response to the advance in the United States Congress of legislation that seeks to prohibit the TikTok in North American territory if the application continues to be linked to the Communist Party of China.
At a committee hearing in the US Senate in March, the director of the FBI (United States Federal Bureau of Investigation), Cristopher Wray, said that China could use the application to control data from North American users.
Despite WhatsApp and Threads, both from big tech Meta, being banned, other company applications continue to be allowed in the Asian country. Facebook, Instagram and Messenger remain available for downloads.
“We are obliged to follow the laws of the countries where we operate, even when we disagree”Apple’s statement said, according to the British news agency.
Source: https://www.poder360.com.br/internacional/apple-retira-whatsapp-e-threads-de-sua-loja-de-apps-na-china/
