A few hours ago, Apple announced that it had removed WhatsApp messenger and Threads app (owned by Meta) from the AppStore in China. Of course, Apple did this not of its own free will, but because the Chinese government said so, citing national security concerns.

The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered these apps to be removed from the Chinese app store, citing national security concerns. We are obliged to comply with the laws of the countries in which we operate, even if we disagree with them

According to Reuters, some experts in the Chinese tech industry said this may be related to a new rule adopted last August that requires all apps available in China to be registered on a government registry or risk being removed. But other Meta programs from the Chinese AppStore have not gone anywhere.

Let us also remind you that some time ago, there were new discussions in the USA about whether TikTok should be completely blocked, and the House of Representatives even passed the necessary bill for this.