Apple said on Friday it would remove Meta-owned apps WhatsApp and Threads from its Chinese app store following a government order, potentially escalating the technology war between the United States and China.
The House of Representatives was preparing to vote as early as this weekend on a bill that would force Chinese internet company ByteDance to sell the popular video app TikTok or ban it from selling in the United States. US lawmakers have said TikTok poses a national security threat due to its ties to China.
Apple said China's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration, ordered it to remove WhatsApp and Threads from its app stores, citing national security concerns. Apple said it complied.
“Even if we disagree, we are obligated to abide by the laws of the countries in which we operate,” an Apple spokesperson said.
A Meta spokesperson referred Apple for comment. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Apple removed the app.
China has for years blocked U.S. apps and technology companies, including Facebook and Instagram, which are also owned by Meta. WhatsApp and Threads, one of the world's most popular messaging services, were not widely used in China. China has an elaborate system to block foreign apps and websites within its borders, known as the Great Firewall. In China, WhatsApp dwarfs Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat.
Still, until Friday, Chinese users could download WhatsApp and use it with the help of a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs are used to establish a secure web connection and view content that is prohibited within China.
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