Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from China app store

Apple removed Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China on Friday saying it was ordered to by the government, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The iPhone maker said China’s top internet regulator asked it to remove the apps because of national security concerns, according to the Journal.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” the newspaper quoted an Apple spokesperson as saying in a statement.

Apple and Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the WSJ report. Reuters