Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from Chinese App Store

China’s ruling Communist party continues to tighten its control over internet usage in the country, with comprehensive censorship of sensitive topics on social media, and monitoring of communication.

The removal of WhatsApp and Threads comes before a US legislative vote on a bill that would force the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face it being banned from the US market.

The push to ban TikTok, or have it shifted from Chinese ownership, has been driven by lawmakers citing national security concerns about China’s influence on the American public, and the retention of US user data.

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The Chinese order to remove the apps was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Friday.