Apple pulls WhatsApp, Threads from its App Store in China

Company says it was ordered to do so because of national security concerns

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SAN FRANCISCO - Apple said it pulled the Meta-owned apps WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on April 19 on government orders, potentially escalating the war over technology between the United States and China,

The iPhone maker said China's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration, ordered the removal of WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store because of national security concerns.

Apple said it complied because "we are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree".

A Meta spokesperson directed requests for comment to Apple.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported Apple's removal of the apps.

A person briefed on the situation said the Chinese government had found content on WhatsApp and Threads about China's President Xi Jinping that was inflammatory and violated the country's cyber security laws. The specifics of the content was unclear, the person said.

Several other global messaging apps were also removed from Apple's App Store in China on April 19, including Signal, which is based in the US, and Telegram, which is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to Appfigures, a market research firm that analyses the digital economy.

Signal did not immediately comment, and Telegram did not respond to a request for comment.

The actions thrust Apple and Meta into an intensifying tussle over technology between the US and China.