Apple Removes WhatsApp and Threads from China App Store After State Order

Apple Removes WhatsApp and Threads from China App Store Amid National Security Concerns

Government Order Prompts App Takedowns

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, Apple has pulled the plug on Meta’s end-to-end encrypted messaging app, WhatsApp, and its Twitter-like platform, Threads, from its App Store in China. The decision comes on the heels of a government directive citing national security issues, as reported by Reuters.

Apple confirmed the removal, stating,

“The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns.”

Meta, the parent company of both apps, acknowledged their absence from the Chinese App Store but refrained from providing further details, redirecting inquiries to Apple for comment.

Signal and Telegram Also Affected

According to data from app tracking firms Qimai and AppMagic, two other popular messaging apps, Signal and Telegram, have also been removed from Apple’s App Store in China. While Apple has not officially confirmed these additional takedowns, the AppleCensorship site indicates that both apps have been “disappeared” from the mainland China App Store.

Signal’s president, Meredith Whittaker, revealed that the app was already blocked in China by the country’s Great Firewall, rendering the App Store removal largely inconsequential for Chinese users.

A Pattern of App Removals

This is not the first instance of Apple removing apps at the behest of China’s internet regulator. In recent years, the tech giant has pulled various apps from its Chinese App Store, including:

• Generative AI apps, just before new Chinese regulations took effect
• Damus, a Twitter alternative backed by Jack Dorsey
• Clubhouse, an audio social networking app
• Censorship circumvention tools and VPN apps
• RSS apps and podcast apps
• A popular Quran app

Inconsistent Censorship Decisions

The reasons behind the targeted removal of WhatsApp and Threads remain unclear. While Threads quickly gained popularity in China despite being blocked by the Great Firewall, other Meta-owned apps like Facebook and Instagram are still available on the Chinese App Store.

As TC’s Rita Liao noted in a 2021 post about the rising usage of Signal and Telegram, “China’s censorship decisions can be arbitrary and inconsistent.” The removal of these apps serves as a reminder of the complex and often unpredictable nature of operating in the Chinese market.