While China lobbies for TikTok in Washington, the Chinese Government ordered Apple Inc. to remove social media services including Meta Platforms Inc.’s WhatsApp and Threads from its Chinese app store.

Apple also removed the messaging services Telegram and Signal, according to consultants tracking the space. Apple, which has consistently complied with one of the world’s most rigid internet censorship regimes, said the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the apps removed over national security concerns.

“It will mean that Chinese consumers are pretty much limited to just Chinese apps, with a small number of international ones,” said Bishop, whose consultancy has received dozens of inquiries from companies about how to stay compliant and publish software in China. “That’s quite a big change — so it will further cut off Chinese citizens from the rest of the world in a sense.”

The action against the American tech services comes as the US government is taking steps toward a ban on TikTok, the hit video app from Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. US politicians have also cited national security concerns in their push to force the company to either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner or face a ban in the US market.

“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 said in a statement. Bloomberg

Side Note: Our cover graphic came from a 2018 report from The Economist titled "China's Great Firewall is Rising."