The Chinese government's top internet regulator ordered Apple to remove WhatsApp and Threads from their app store, claiming that the apps threatened national security.

"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 via email, as reported by Reuters.

Two other foreign chat applications - Telegram and Signal - were also deleted from the app store, according to app monitoring firms Qimai and AppMagic.

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Apple Will Have Less Freedom in China?

With the four applications gone, it is clear that the Chinese government is becoming more intolerant of foreign online chat services it cannot regulate. For Apple, that means less room for growth in China.

"We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree," said an Apple representative who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported this on Friday, April 19.

China is a crucial market for Apple's production and consumer goods. Last month, CEO Tim Cook went to China to meet with prominent politicians and inaugurate a new shop in Shanghai. The visit followed a decline in iPhone sales earlier in the year.

Furthermore, in January, Chinese semiconductor manufacturers planned establishing chip production facilities to provide local smartphone manufacturers with processors. This is a setback for Apple, a company that has profited from export limitations up until now.

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