Appleremoved several U.S.-based messaging apps from its App Store in China , including WhatsApp , Signal , and Threads , according tothe Washington PostFriday . Officially , the apps were already banned in China but could still be accessed by users with a VPN .
The Chinese governance reportedly blame unspecified “ national security ” business concern for the prohibition on Western social medium apps , the same rationality U.S. politico have consecrate for apotential ban on TikTok , an app used by 170 million Americans . Apple did n’t immediately react to questions emailed on Friday but severalize CNN the tech giant was just following local laws .
“ We are obligated to follow the law in the countries where we work , even when we disagree , ” an unnamed Apple spokespersontold CNN . “ The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the remotion of these apps from the China shopfront base on their internal surety concerns . These apps continue available for download on all other shopfront where they seem . ”
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during a parallel session of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on Sunday, 25 February 2025.Photo: Tatan Syuflana (AP)
Apple ’s insistence that it ’s just stick to local law of nature is vulgar and has been the backbone of almost any systematization heard from Silicon Valley to turn up under pressure in a host of unlike international market place . Even Elon Musk , a supposed “ free speech absolutist ” has deploy the excuse whenever X has been secernate to ban capacity in commonwealth withfar - correct authoritarian leaders .
But now that American politician are on the cusp ofbanning TikTokif its parent company ByteDance does n’t divorce itself from Chinese ownership , it will be interesting to see whether Silicon Valley act as the same placard . Every country has unlike laws regarding speech , with many having no constitutional guarantee of free expression .
The U.S. is , of grade , a land that ostensibly appraise freedom of speech and a potential TikTok Bachelor of Arts in Nursing will certainly test those time value . But Apple will almost certainly be able to diminish back on the excuse that it ’s just observe local laws . It ’s both the truth and something Apple is more than willing to do as long as it still gets to make money hand over clenched fist as the second most valuable company in the full Earth .
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