Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on Friday, following an order from Beijing, This comes at a time of escalating tensions between the US and China over trade, technology, and cybersecurity. While China cited national security concerns as the reason behind this move, some experts suggest that Apple’s failure to comply with the latest regulations requiring to be registered with the Chinese government by the end of March posed a risk of being removed from the country’s app store.
Why is China banning foreign apps?
The growing intolerance on the part of the Chinese government regarding foreign apps has led it to ban other apps such as Telegram and Signal as well. The government hinted that these apps were outside of its control. In fact, many foreign apps are blocked on Chinese networks by the “Great Firewall”. However, none of these four recently banned apps were as widely used in China as its own WeChat app, thereby reducing the impact on Apple.
Tit-for-tat for US action on TikTok?
In contrast to China’s actions, the US has threatened to ban TikTok, but unlike their apps in China, TikTok is used by millions of Americans. To add to this, Apple has faced challenges in the past when Chinese government agencies and state-owned company employees were instructed not to use Apple devices at work, leading to a slump in sales after which it lost its position as the world’s top smartphone maker to Samsung.
Despite challenges in China, Apple is looking forward to diversifying its operations outside of China, and in other parts of Asia, especially in Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. It recently promised to invest over $250 million in Singapore, to mark the start of a partnership and potentially reduce its dependence on the Chinese market.
