{"id":4357,"date":"2024-04-22T03:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T03:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=4357"},"modified":"2024-04-22T03:00:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T03:00:47","slug":"apple-removes-whatsapp-and-threads-from-china-app-store-over-national-security-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=4357","title":{"rendered":"Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from China app store over national security concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 2 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China, following an order from the country\u2019s internet watchdog which cited national security concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,\u201d an Apple spokesperson told CNN on Friday. \u201cThe Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns. These apps remain available for download on all other storefronts where they appear.\u201d<\/p>\n

The apps, both owned by Meta (META), were already blocked in China and not widely used. They could be accessed in the country only by using virtual private networks (VPNs) that can encrypt internet traffic and disguise the user\u2019s online identity.<\/p>\n

The removal of the apps by Apple (AAPL) represents a \u201cfurther distancing between already separated tech universes\u201d in the country and beyond, said Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based investment advisory BDA China.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will cause inconvenience to consumers and businesses (in China) who deal with family, friends or customers overseas.\u00a0Even if they use VPNs to access their existing WhatsApp apps, these over time will become obsolete\u00a0and require updating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Other popular Western social media apps including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and Messenger are still available on Apple\u2019s China app store, according to a check by CNN.<\/p>\n

The tech giant\u2019s announcement comes against a backdrop of plunging iPhone sales in the world\u2019s second-largest economy. Its smartphone sales tumbled a stunning 10% in the first quarter of this year, according to market research firm IDC.<\/p>\n

The company has lost momentum in China as nationalism, a rough economy and increased competition have hurt Apple over the past several months.<\/p>\n

The resurgence of Huawei and other Chinese brands, including Xiaomi and OPPO\/OnePlus, will likely continue, according to IDC. Chinese\u00a0consumers who once would have considered Apple are now turning to the country\u2019s national brands.<\/p>\n

Besides being a key production centre, China remains an important market for Apple, as it is the largest market behind the United States. The company continues to offer discounts in the country to help boost sales.<\/p>\n

Its CEO Tim Cook visited Shanghai just last month to open the second-biggest Apple Store in the world.<\/p>\n

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Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China, following an order from the country\u2019s internet watchdog which cited national security concerns. \u201cWe are obligated to follow… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}