China is cracking down on foreign technology in the country, and is now targeting popular messaging apps on the Chinese App Store.
Apple removed WhatsApp, Threads, Signal, and Telegram from its China-based App Store on Friday after it was ordered to do so by the government over national security concerns, the Wall Street Journal reported. The messaging apps are commonly used in China, but can can only be accessed through virtual private networks (VPNs).
“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” an Apple spokesperson told the Journal.
China’s Cyberspace Administration ordered the removal of WhatsApp and Threads due to political content, including “problematic mentions” of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Journal reported, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter. Apple told the Journal that was not part of the reason it removed the apps.
A Meta spokesperson referred a request for comment to Apple. Neither Apple, Telegram, nor Signal immediately responded to a request for comment.
In August, China announced new measures requiring domestic and foreign app developers to report details about their business with the Chinese government, citing a crackdown on fraud. App developers had until March to file required paperwork for existing apps, while paperwork for new apps was required before release starting in September.
Apple staff reportedly met with Chinese officials last year to discuss the rules, but were told by authorities the mandates would stay in place, according to the Journal.
Earlier this month, Chinese officials told the country’s largest telecom companies to stop using foreign-made core processors by 2027. Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) provide most of the core chips used in Chinese telecom network infrastructure, the Journal reported, and will be heavily impacted by China’s push against foreign-made chips. In March, Chinese officials introduced guidelines to eliminate Intel and AMD chips from government computers and servers in favor of domestic-made technology.