The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered Apple to pull WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese app store, citing national security concerns.
“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” Apple said in a statement.
This decision against internationally popular US messaging apps like WhatsApp and Threads comes only days after Congress revived a bill to enforce a ban on TikTok or for its parent company ByteDance to divest the social media app. Seeing the timing, this move could suggest a form of retaliation (although not stated or confirmed) which could further escalate tensions between China and the US over technologies and other policies.
According to app tracking firms Qimai and AppMagic, Telegram and Signal have also been removed from the Chinese storefront.
Although these 4 apps were already blocked by China’s “Great Firewall,” people were able to circumvent the firewall by using a VPN – something that they might no longer be able to do should the Chinese government continue their censorship crackdown on foreign messaging apps that fall outside its control. However, it’s worth noting that none of these 4 apps are popular in China, especially when compared to the country’s mammoth instant messaging and social media app, WeChat.
Chinese consumers are restrained by tight regulations, especially when it comes to political expression. Signal and WhatsApp both feature end-to-end encryption, which would prevent communications companies or government censors from reading messages unless they have direct access to the user’s device.
What is your take on all of this?
