[ad_1]
Apple Removes WhatsApp: America’s iPhone maker Apple has decided to remove WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store. This campaign of the company has started from China. This claim was made in the report of American newspaper The Wall Street Journal on Friday. According to Apple, China’s top internet regulator has asked to remove apps from China’s App Store due to national security concerns.
What did Apple say on removing WhatsApp?
WSJ reports that the iPhone manufacturer has removed Meta platform’s WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China. The company said that the Chinese government had ordered for this. There may be national security reasons behind this. The newspaper quoted an Apple spokesperson as saying that the company is bound to follow the laws in the countries where it operates, even if there is no consensus on this matter.
China is strengthening its hold on information flow
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and IT (MIIT) is strengthening its grip on information flow. This decision is an attempt to control online content. Which forces domestic and foreign companies to restrict access to information considered politically sensitive by the Chinese government. In August last year, Chinese authorities had directed all mobile app developers to get government registration by March 2024. The government believes that this step is an effective way to prevent scams and financial fraud.
The government started removing apps in 2023
On the other hand, Apple and Meta did not immediately respond to news agency Reuters’ request for comment on the WSJ report. But Apple’s decision to remove WhatsApp and the threats is part of a program aimed at removing unregistered or inactive apps from app stores like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. The government then started a cleanup campaign to remove insecure applications in 2023.
[ad_2]