Apple caved to demands from China’s Cyberspace Administration to remove the messaging applications WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram, and the social media platform Threads from its China-based App Store due to national security concerns.
After embarking on an initiative to “delete America” from all technology, the Chinese government demanded the technology and iPhone manufacturer Apple remove the platforms that it says pose a threat to national security because the apps were capable of circumventing China’s “Great Firewall.”
“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree. The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns,” Apple in a statement reported by Bloomberg.
In 2022, Apple complied with the CCP and sent a notice to its manufacturing suppliers in Taiwan to begin labeling products “Made in China,” as opposed to “Made in Taiwan,” after the CCP began imposing steep fines or rejecting products labeled “Taiwan” passing through shipping hubs and ports.
Due to increased pressure on the technology manufacturer from the CCP to comply with draconian censorship laws, Apple has recently sought ways to diversify its supply chain, apart from China and Taiwan. Most recently, China has expanded its manufacturing operations into India, Vietnam, and other countries globally, according to CNBC.
This move notably decreases Chinese citizens’ ability to communicate with people outside of the country, and for others to gain insight into the lives of Chinese citizens.
TPUSA previously reported that the Chinese Communist Party’s Document 79, known as “Delete A,” meaning, “Delete America,” is a major technological overhaul initiative that aims to replace all foreign-owned information technology (“IT”) software used by state-owned companies with Chinese software by 2027.
China currently manufactures a significant portion of pharmaceuticals, microchips, and technology used by the U.S., and the federal government has only recently warned of cyber security risks posed by China’s infiltration into America’s critical infrastructure.
