Apple complies with China's order to remove WhatsApp, Threads from China apps store

Apple complied Friday with China's request that the U.S.-based tech firm remove WhatsApp and Threads from its China app store.

The People's Republican of China cited national security concerns in its ordered, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” an Apple spokesperson told the newspaper. 

The move comes at the same time Congress is poised for a final vote to effectively ban TikTok from online app stores, citing similar concerns.

The short-form video company's parent company is China-based ByteDance. 

Other social media apps including Facebook, Instagram YouTube and X are still available.