Apple announces the removal of WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China. The tech giant did this after an order from the Chinese government, which cited national security concerns, Reuters reports.

At the same time, other Meta Platforms apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, are still available for download on the App Store in China.

Many other popular apps developed by Western companies, including YouTube and X, are also currently available for download. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, Signal and Telegram are also on the list of removed apps.

“China’s Cyberspace Administration has ordered the removal of these apps from the Chinese store based on national security concerns,” Apple said in a statement. “We are obligated to comply with the laws of the countries where we operate, even if we disagree with them.

By the way, such actions are being taken in China while the US is deciding on the future of the TikTok platform. In March, the House of Representatives passed a bill “Protecting Americans from Programs Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act.”

According to the bill, China’s ByteDance must sell TikTok to a company that is not affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. If this does not happen, the app will be blocked in the United States. This bill has been sent to the Senate.