China has reportedly ordered Apple (NASDAQ:) to remove certain chat messaging apps from its app store in the country, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The App Store in China has removed Meta Platforms’ (NASDAQ:) WhatsApp and other messaging apps like Signal and Telegram on Friday, the report states, with Apple said to have been told to remove certain apps due to national security concerns.
An Apple spokesperson told the WSJ: “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree.”
The apps are only able to be viewed in China via VPNs. However, they are said to be commonly used.
The Cyberspace Administration of China reportedly asked Apple to remove WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store due to political content that includes problematic mentions of the Chinese president, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by the WSJ.
However, they noted that the Apple spokesperson said that wasn’t part of the reasoning.