Apple CEO Tim Cook participated in a discussion on mental health at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week at Apple Park in San Francisco, California, on November 17, 2023. The company announced that it has removed messaging apps like Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in China due to security concerns raised by the Chinese government.
The tensions between the U.S. and China have been escalating over technology and policy issues. Congress is working on legislation to pressure ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to sell the social media app. Apple stated that it is following the laws of the countries where it operates, even if it disagrees with them.
In addition to Meta’s apps, messaging platforms like Signal and Telegram were also taken down from China’s App Store. Apple is working to diversify its supply chain by expanding its manufacturing operations in countries like India and Vietnam.
China has a history of limiting access to U.S. content online, with popular platforms like WhatsApp and Threads now being removed from the App Store. While these apps may not be as widely used in China as WeChat, their removal limits communication options for Chinese users with people outside the country.
Meta referred inquiries to Apple, while Signal and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Apple recently removed messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China following a government order citing national security concerns. This move adds to the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and other policies. The strained relationship has led Apple to diversify its supply chain outside of China by expanding manufacturing operations in countries like India and Vietnam.
The removal of these apps reduces the ways Chinese users can communicate with people outside the country, as platforms like Signal and Telegram were also taken down from the Chinese App Store. The U.S. Congress is also pushing legislation to force ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest the social media app. President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
Despite disagreements with the laws of the countries they operate in, Apple stated that they are obligated to comply. China has a history of restricting access to U.S. online content, and while platforms like WhatsApp and Threads were previously accessible, they were ordered to be removed by the Cyberspace Administration of China. Meta directed inquiries to Apple, while Signal and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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