Accordingly, foreign messaging apps such as Telegram, Signal and WhatsApp and Meta Platforms' social network Threads have been removed from the App Store.

The removal of the four apps shows the company's uncompromising stance towards foreign online messaging services that are out of control. At the same time, it also puts significant pressure on the iPhone manufacturing giant.

960x0tele.jpg
Apple said the Chinese government requested the removal of the software on national security grounds.

“The Cyberspace Administration of China requested the removal of these apps from its store in China based on national security concerns,” Apple said in a statement. “We have an obligation to comply with the laws in the countries where we operate, even if we disagree with their judgments.”

Currently, China's most popular messaging app is Tencent's WeChat. Meanwhile, foreign apps are often blocked by the "Great Wall" - the censorship system, and can only be used through virtual private networks (VPNs) or other proxy tools.

The apps are still available in Hong Kong and Macau, two special administrative regions of China.

Some experts in China's tech industry say the government's demands on WhatsApp and Threads may be related to new regulations introduced last August that require all apps available in China to register with the government or risk being taken down. Companies had until the end of March to complete the registration, and the regulations took effect on April 1.

This is not the first time Apple has removed an app at the request of the Chinese government - one of the company's largest and most important markets.

In 2017, Apple removed The New York Times news app because it violated local regulations. Last year, the company removed several ChatGPT-like apps as Beijing was developing local regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) services.

(According to Reuters)

Telegram: The “promised land” of cybercriminals Fraud, data trafficking, prostitution, dissemination of obscene publications, advertising of gambling games, betting… take place openly on Telegram, this is considered the “promised land” of cybercriminals.